IT was fifty years ago this year that Sgt. Pepper taught his band to play, and to mark the occasion The The Bootleg Beatles have a date at Malvern Theatres, with weird moustaches an absolute certainty.

A spokesman said: "This year marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the milestone album ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’, by The Beatles.

"The Bootleg Beatles, along with their renowned string and brass are on our tour to mark the occasion."

The spokesman added: "Since their inception in 1980 the band have performed hundreds of gigs across the globe, earning themselves an amazing reputation along the way. The late George Martin himself described the Bootleg Beatles experience as 'a terrific show'.

"Formed from the original cast of London’s West End hit show ‘Beatlemania’, The Bootleg Beatles have become an institution in their own right with their note-perfect recreation of hits from every era of the world’s most famous songbook. Every tiny detail is meticulously covered from costumes to authentic period instruments; from the ‘Liverpudlian’ banter to their ‘inflection perfect’ vocal mimicry."

The spokesman said: "But it’s not only their sound that is so authentic; they actually bear an uncanny resemblance to the Fab Four."

The Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album is widely acknowledged as the record which redrew the map of popular music.

The spokesman said: "It proved that The Beatles were not only incredible songwriters but also true innovators in the studio."

The year 1967 was a momentous one for The Beatles. It was the year that The Beatles met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and they also released the acclaimed hits ‘Strawberry Fields’ and ‘Penny Lane’, as well as the ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ EP.

The spokesman said: "Songs from those releases celebrating their half century feature heavily in The Bootlegs Beatles set and will of course receive an airing."

The date for the diary is Friday, April 7.

Tickets on, 01684 892277.