TAKING our seats for the Upbeat Beatles’ show at Andover’s The Lights we were transported back in time to 16 August 1960. The Beatles had arrived.

Dressed in their iconic black suits, with their Rickenbacker and Hofner guitars at the ready, the music blasted from their favoured Vox amplifiers.

Please Please Me, I Saw Her Standing There, Love Me Do were preformed to perfection. The fantastic harmonies of the band were highlighted by one of the Beatles' B side hits, This Boy. The band encouraged the crowd to join in, and needing no persuasion we did, singing heartily to hits such as All My Loving and Twist and Shout.

There were gentle parts of the show where the shy Beatle George Harrison sang Here Comes the Sun and Something along with a superb guitar solo, while the show took us through the early years right up until the band dissolved including hits such as the brilliant Revolution and Penny Lane.

In fact the whole band did the Beatles proud.

Paul McCartney’s mannerisms were performed superbly along with John Lennons’ sardonic humour that threaded its way throughout the show.

A tight-knit band that was so talented not only vocally but musical masters of their guitars, not forgetting the expertise of Ringo Starr on the drums.

At the end we were all taken to The Cavern where the audience got up and danced to the unforgettable Upbeat Beatles. John Lennon announced that “a band is only as good as their audience...

and we were great tonight!”

It’s a definite yes from me!

Jenny Porter