A TRIBUTE act to one of the world’s most successful and iconic bands comes to Basingstoke next week.

On Tuesday The Bootleg Beatles are set to wow the crowds at The Anvil as part of their 35th anniversary.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Ticket to Ride – one of the band’s favourite pieces to perform.

Since they started in 1980, the group have made six appearances at Glastonbury and toured the world several times over, earning themselves an amazing reputation along the way.

Formed from the original cast of London’s West End hit show Beatlemania, the band have become an institution in their own right with note-perfect accuracy using authentic period instruments.

And it’s not just their Liverpudlian banter that makes their audience members do a double-take. The group bear an uncanny resemblance to the original “fab four” and their faces has seen them perform as far as Australia, as well as Holland, France, Belgium, Iceland, Demark and Russia.

Adam Hastings, who took over as John Lennon in 2011, said: “It’s a simple answer really, it’s the best – there’s no other way of looking at it.

“It was a magic thing, they were the best songwriters, amazing singers and each member of the band had a different personality. It was a happy accident – they were unique,” he added.

“We were playing in Mongolia of all places, to about 8,000 people. They didn’t speak any English and we didn’t speak any Mongolian, but they knew the words to every song.

“That’s the legacy of The Beatles.”

Tickets for the event, 8pm, cost £29, including a £1 booking fee, and can be bought from the Anvil box office by calling 01256 844244 or e-mail box.office@anvilarts.org.uk.