Bootleg Sixties Sight and Sound Show

Central Hall, Chatham

When Elton John, one of the world’s greatest musical entertainers, invites you to play at his wedding, you could be forgiven for thinking that you not too bad at it yourselves.

And if one of your December dates includes a set at a Christmas party in Buckingham Palace, well, that really is ‘top table’ recognition.

Throw in invites from, among an illustrious list of others, Sir Bob Geldof, Sir Paul McCartney and Lulu and you must really have a a special act – something to really Shout about.

The last few years has seen a new industry for tribute bands but one outfit has found a niche that perhaps trumps them all.

The Overtures is a band that covers hits across the 1960s by a range of artists – all your favourite bands rolled into one!

The Hertfordshire-based five-piece were formed in 1989 and their line-up consists of founders Den Pugsley (bass/lead vocals) and Steve Phypers (drums/vocals), plus Jamie Cook (guitar/lead vocals), Phil Evans (guitar/vocals) and Alex Richards (keyboards/vocals).

They are currently in the middle of their 15-date UK tour with their The Bootleg Sixties Sight and Sound Show.

The two-hour show at the Central Hall brought pop music’s greatest decade back to life with the classic fashions, newsreel and iconic video footage.

The band has an impressive repertoire of songs by artists including The Kinks, The Doors, Simon & Garfunkel, The Hollies, Beach Boys, The Monkees, The Byrds, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Yardbirds, Elvis and many more.

They perform every aspect of Sixties music from the early ‘Merseybeat’ of The Beatles and The Searchers through to the ‘surf’ sound of The Beach Boys, the rhythm and blues of The Rolling Stones to the folk-rock of The Byrds and The Mamas and The Papas.

Their attention to detail is astonishing – a Beatles song is played with the signature Paul McCartney Hofner bass guitar – and suits and boots are all unmistakably from the Swingin’ Sixties.

“We just love the Sixties’, says founder member Den Pugsley. “The song writing talent during this era was incredible and varied. There’s a simplicity about the hit tunes of the Sixties – but they are really hard to play authentically.”

“The best band of their kind in the world,” says Sir Elton John, who has hired The Overtures several times, including at his wedding and his New Year’s Eve Party at the O2 where the band played to 17,000 fans.

Sir Elton, along with Lulu, Kenny Jones (The Who), Paul McCartney, Bob Geldolf, Dave Gilmour and countless other A-list stars have hired this five-piece to play at parties all over the world.

The Central Theatre may not have been the biggest venue they have ever played but that didn’t prevent them giving it their all.

The audience took some encouraging but a few of them were dancing in the aisles towards the end of the show. And why not?

The Overtures are a class act and when I look around to find a band to watch this Saturday night, I am going to bear in mind that everybody has to start somewhere.