FIVE students at York College recreated an iconic impromptu London rooftop gig by The Beatles - 50 years on.

Music student and huge Beatles fan Mark Readman, 18, enlisted the talents of fellow music students Michael Purdie-Abbott, James Beardsley, Jack Hunter and Rory Laws to make up the band for the performance at York College.

It was part of Mark’s final year project on the extended diploma music performance and production course at the college.

The original concert took place on January 30, 1969, and saw John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, as well as keyboard player, Billy Preston, take to the roof of Apple Corps headquarters to play their last public performance together.

Mark, from Barlby, is also recreating the Beatles ‘Let it Be’ album in its entirety for the same final year project. Mark will score the whole album with the help of the college orchestra, which will record the string parts, the college choir, which will supply the backing vocals and Wetherby Silver Band, which will supply the brass sections.

For the rooftop performance, Mark said he used the same techniques, amps and stage set as The Beatles did for their gig.

Like the original performance, the students played Get Back, Don’t Let Me Down, Dig A Pony, One After 909 and I’ve Got a Feeling.

They performed on an outdoor area on the third floor overlooking the large podium deck at the rear of the college. Mark’s research took him to Liverpool to see where the music began and where he made part of the film/documentary for his project. He said: “This project is a great way to end my studies at York College.” He is hoping to study a degree in performance and song writing at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.