The Bootleg Beatles at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

The band was established in March 1980 and has performed over 4,000 times since. Andre Barreau, Neil Harrison and David Catlin-Birch formed the group after the final show of the West End musical Beatlemania, in which they were fellow London cast members. Their first performance was at a small student gathering in Tiverton, Devon, England.

They later played a 60-date tour of the Soviet Union. In 2002 the band played at Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee Party at Buckingham Palace, and in 2010 they made their first headline appearance on the Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury Festival.