Promising to take audiences on a ‘Magical History Tour’ of the original Fab Four and their remarkable rise to fame, the Upbeat Beatles have come to York looking to replicate the music that shaped a generation.

Founded in 1997, the Upbeat Beatles have earned a reputation as one of the best Beatles tribute acts in the world and have performed across the globe.

Coming on to massive applause, the show kicked off recreating the Beatles’ early days at the Cavern Club in Liverpool and the mass hysteria of Beatlemania that followed, playing hits like She Loves You and A Hard Day’s Night.

Roger Channing, Simon Blight, Colin Yates and James ‘Jimbo’ Jordan all played their assigned parts with exceptional skill and the audience were quickly on their feet and dancing, revelling in the electric retro-pop atmosphere.

The volume of songs was staggering and the quick pace carried the show forward at almost breakneck speed.

The show also served as something of a primer on Beatles’ history, using archive clips and interviews to build a visual scrapbook of the legendary band’s incredible story.

The second leg focussed more on the Beatles’ studio years, giving the band a chance to really show off what they could do with songs like Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and I Am The Walrus, complete with psychedelic outfits and stick-on moustaches. For a grand finale, the band played Get Back to enormous cheers, and for their encore they played Hey Jude, ending on a more sombre tone.

The Upbeat Beatles delivered an incredible show with tons of personality and a truly awesome catalogue of music, a fitting testament to a band that managed to make such an impact with only a seven-year run.

Robert Mckelvey