"Hello you crazy teenagers," drawled John Lennon as he looked out on an audience, mainly of a certain vintage fortunate enough to have been around when Beatlemania exploded onto the music scene in the 60s.

In true acerbic Lennon style, he followed up with: "Thanks for the screams!" A few squeals followed, which were immediately dismissed as "Pathetic!"

The premier Fab Four tribute band The Bootleg Beatles was making another triumphant return to the Central Theatre in Chatham in a week that turned out to be a poignant one with the passing of the wizard behind the magic, George Martin.

After the sad news broke, the Bootlegs performed their own tribute at subsequent gigs by dedicating In My Life to him.

Just like Beatles songs, they are a band I and a multitude of fans around the world never tire of.

As usual the theatre was packed for the familiar, but never jaded, potted history of the Liverpudlian maestros who changed the course of music in the too brief seven years they were together.

The fact The Bootleg Beatles have been keeping the dream alive with various personnel for some 36 years, filling venues wherever they perform, is testament to the genius of John, Paul, George and Ringo.

One wit once said: "If you can remember anything about the sixties, you weren’t really there." While that may be true for some who imbibed dubious substances, but those of us who were there could never forget a band truly worthy of the often overused noun icon.

The show is split in two sections with meticulous detail to costumes, instruments and speakers and a projection screen bringing back newsreel and advert memories from that era.

The first part covers the early years from 1963-1966 demonstrating the simplicity of songs from four fresh-faced Mop Tops with Macca (Steve White) nodding and grinning manically and Lennon, a stunning doppelganger in Adam Hastings, dispensing insouciance and dry wit.

Out of the limitless riches available, the lead-in song was I Saw Her Standing There, followed by Please Please Me, Rain and wrapping up the first 16 songs with a rousing Twist and Shout.

After the interval and several costume changes later, came the more in-depth and complex psychedelia of Sergeant Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour, circa 1967, and the final two years up to 1970, backed by the band’s excellent orchestra, before the four went their separate ways.

Along the way we were treated to stunning solos from McCartney (Yesterday) and Lennon (Across the Universe). While they were faultless, Harrison double Stephen Hill was a show-stopper with his singing and guitar skills on While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

Ringo (Hugo Degenhardt) proved he was no back number on With A Little Help From My Friends.

After much dancing in the aisles and on the balcony, the encore of Back in the USSR and All Together Now, brought the total songs performed during the evening to 34.

Once again The Bootleg Beatles showed they are the closest you will get to the real thing.