More than 60 years after emerging as part of the Merseybeat scene in Liverpool, The Searchers are touring Australia.
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Founding member John McNally and bass player (since 1964) Frank Allen will head the band along side Spencer James and Scott Ottaway.
McNally said the band has visited Australian in 18 out of the last 20 years after first touring here in 1964.
“In 1964 we were here with Del Shannon and in 1966 we were here with the Rolling Stones,” McNally said.
“We have always loved Australia. I really like freedom of the highways. In England this time year, the weather is awful and motorways are packed over.”
The Searchers began life in 1959 as a skiffle band playing on street corners in Liverpool.
The emergence of The Beatles in Hamburg led to more interest in what Liverpool bands were doing.
“None of us really knew what was going on but after The Beatles went to Hamburg and had such success, managers came to Liverpool and signed a bunch of bands, including ourselves,” McNally said.
“We just kept learning our craft and enjoying ourselves but we started improving daily. There were so many bands and venues and the camaradie was great.”
McNally said the growth in Liverpool’s Merseybeat scene was incredible for bands who had started by playing on street corners.
“I was just with my mates playing acoustic guitars, washboards and tea chests combined with a broomstick and string for a bass,” he said.
“Unknown to us, there were a lot of other bands doing it. So we started meeting a lot of musicians who had been doing the same thing.”
Through their career the band had three number one hits in the UK – Sweets For My Sweet, Needles and Pins and Don’t Throw Your Love Away – and also seven songs in the top 20.
“We had loads of albums that many people don't remember. Young bands today do EPs but they were very popular in ‘60s and ‘70s,” McNally said.
“TV shows and movies still play our records which brings the music closer to this generation but there are always people who played those records in the ‘60s at our shows.”
Mc Nally said he still loves playing Sweets For My Sweet.
“It was the song that opened doors to us. I have great memories of going to London and being so excited to record it,” he said.
“We were on the way to Hamburg and the gear was so bad but it was our first single.”
The Searchers play at The Capital on Wednesday, March 8. Head to www.thecapital.com.au/Whats_On for more details.