THE Backbeat Beatles were formed in 1994 by Chris O’Neill (Paul McCartney) and have been hailed as being the closest we can get to witnessing the original Fab Four.

At Huntingdon Hall, O’Neill welcomed the Worcester audience to ‘The Church Of Beatle’. Feeling slightly incongruous being sat behind pews and staring at the altar the audience warmed up quickly as the four launched into a lively rendition of I Saw Her Standing There from the Please Please Me album.

Dressed in authentic Beatles navy suits the boys played a dazzling 16 numbers in the first half ranging from the energetic Can’t Buy Me Love to the classic audience singalong Yellow Submarine and the slow slot And I Love Her. There was certainly something for everyone.

A quick turnaround into the second half and the Backbeats returned in groovy Sergeant Pepper gear to play the more psychedelic number I Am The Walrus and some beautiful acoustic versions of Blackbird and Yesterday.

The Backbeat Beatles are a talented bunch with careful use of original recordings of girls screaming and truly magnificent management of their instruments it’s easy to see why they have been hailed as near enough the real thing.

For die hard Beatles fans and those of us who sadly weren’t born early enough – what a treat.