THE Bootleg Beatles will play York Barbican on April 18 on their 18-date tour next spring, with tickets going on sale from 10am tomorrow.

The long-running Beatles tribute act will be touring with their string and brass ensemble, re-creating the look and the songbook of each stage of the Fab Four's career with authentic Sixties' instruments, Liverpudlian banter and vocal mimicry.

Formed in 1980 by the four band members in the West End show Beatlemania, The Bootleg Beatles have undergone line-up changes and now perform with Adam Hastings as John Lennon, Steve White as Paul McCartney, Stephen Hill as George Harrison and Gordon Elsmore as Ringo Star.

They last visited York Barbican on April 4 ahead of a summer when they celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by performing shows with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.They will perform twice at this month's Glastonbury Festival, including a Sgt. Pepper show on the Pyramid Stage.

The Bootleg Beatles have another North Yorkshire engagement before next April's York gig: they are booked into Harrogate Theatre for December 8. York tickets are on sale at yorkbarbican.co.uk and ticketmaster.co.uk and on 0844 854 2757 from tomorrow; Harrogate, harrogatetheatre.co.uk or 01423 502116.