• MERSEYSIDE pop legends The Searchers are celebrating two golden anniversaries.

They were second only to The Beatles as Liverpool’s finest 60s groups.

Other bands from that famous Liverpool hit making stable may have faded from the scene but The Searchers are still busy globetrotting with their distinctive 60s sound.

They return to Eastleigh’s Concorde tonight as their UK spring tour draws to end and they hop on a plane again for New Zealand.

It is nearly 60 years ago that John McNally got together with his mates and formed a skiffle group.

Little did he think that it would sow the seeds for one of the biggest pop bands of that golden era.

Today the very youthful 72 year-old is still in the lineup and has just celebrated his golden wedding anniversary.

And Frank Allen, who as well as bass guitar and vocals is the band’s historian, is about to mark his 50th anniversary with The Searchers.

With total record sales of more than 50 million the secret of The Searchers’ success was turning covers of American songs into instant hits.

The band’s glittering back catalogue of chart toppers includes remakes of The Drifters’ 1961 hit Sweets for My Sweet, Jackie DeShannon’s Needles and Pins and When You Walk In The Room.

Other classics included Sugar and Spice, Don’t Throw Your Love Away and Love Potion Number 9.

  • IT’S a Talking Heads date for The Pat McManus Band tomorrow night.

Irish guitar legend Pat McManus grew up in a family steeped in Irish Traditional music. His first instrument was the violin, which he started playing at the tender age of four, but by the age of seven he was also playing the acoustic guitar and making live appearances with the family band and on national television. By the age of 14, he had won at the ‘All Ireland’ on the fiddle in the adults category. Being a folk purist he had not really thought about rock no roll, but by the age of 18 his thoughts had changed and so he picked up the electric guitar.

They went on to tour the world, working with such acts as Bon Jovi, Marillion, Black Sabbath and Sting.

After the untimely death of drummer Tommy, Pat and John returned in late 1995 with a new band Celtus, enjoying more international success.

He is skilled on the electric guitar, acoustic guitar, violin and a variety of other instruments and has been nicknamed The Professor because of the help he has given young players over the years.

  • OXFAM Music Southampton has organised an evening of live music at the city’s Cellar tonight.

Five live acts will offer everything from indie to prog to soul acoustic to drone.

It will feature performances from Fingermen, Leftines, Disco Lies, Eyes Like the Sky, and Funcrusher.

The event is free to anyone with a donation of music or customers with a receipt from the shop. It is also free to any Oxfam volunteers.