THE Bootleg Beatles’ latest 21-date tour coincides with the 50th anniversary of a Fab Four landmark moment in American chart history as the long-running tribute act heads for York Barbican on Saturday.

On April 4 1964, The Beatles occupied the top five places on the Billboard Hot 100, a feat that remains unmatched. In total, the Liverpool lads had 12 singles in the chart that week, topped by Can’t Buy Me Love.

Twist And Shout was at number two; She Loves You, number three; I Want To Hold Your Hand, number four, and Please Please Me, number five. Further down the pecking order, I Saw Her Standing There was at 31; From Me To You, 41; Do You Want To Know A Secret, 46; All My Loving, 58; You Can’t Do That, 65; Roll Over Beethoven, 68, and Thank You Girl, 79. Such success prompted The Sunday Times to call them “the greatest composers since Beethoven”. The Bootleg Beatles are back on the road with Adam Hasting filling John Lennon’s Beatle boots, Steve White as Paul McCartney, Andre Barreau as George Harrison and Hugo Degenhardt as Ringo Starr.

Last year they toured Australia, South America, South East Asia, had a headline spot at Glastonbury and performed with the 50-piece Rouen Symphony Orchestra in France. Tomorrow they play Harrogate Royal Hall at 7.30pm, followed by Saturday’s 8pm show in York.

Box office: Harrogate, 01423 502116 or harrogatetheatre.co.uk; York, 0855 854 2757 or yorkbarbican.co.uk