BEATLEMANIA lived again in Southampton last night.

The Bootleg Beatles came to the O2 Guildhall and brought with them their authentic version of the Fab Four’s countless hits.

You know a gig is off to a good start when you hear the opening riff to A Hard Day’s Night within the first second.

Bootleg are arguably the premier tribute act among many to the legendary Liverpudlians and they kicked things off suited and booted with a number of early classics.

I'm not one of those to look down on tribute acts – if you give an audience a good time with songs they love and can sing along to then you are doing a great job.

So I was naturally ecstatic to hear Eight Days A Week early on.

What followed was The Beatles through the ages or, more accurately, the 1960s, from their catch pop beginnings to the Sgt Pepper years and the London rooftop classics.

The original group transformed the face of music and it’s always enjoyable to hear how they evolved over time.

They also nailed the mannerisms, accents and humour of John, Paul, George and Ringo.

It was a shame the venue was not full to the brim but the sizeable crowd certainly had no complaints, singing along to the likes of Lucy in the Sky, Penny Lane and All You Need is Love.

It was a terrific night out with a first-rate act.