WHILE Americans were celebrating 50 years of Beatlemania this week, one of The Beatles' contemporaries is still touring the world.

The Searchers was another rock band to emerge out of Liverpool at the same time as The Beatles, and their founding member John McNally and long-time bassist Frank Allen have kept the music alive for more than five decades.

<<<The Searchers play Twin Towns, Tweed Heads, this Saturday>>>

The band has been touring Australia for the past 12 years straight, playing their hits including Sweets for my Sweet, Sugar and Spice, Needles and Pins and When You Walk in the Room.

"Australia has become a standard part of our schedule these days," Allen told APN.

"We've built up a reputation over those 12 years, but we've been coming since 1964."

While mania might be a bit extreme for their fans nowadays, The Searchers still have a very loyal fan base.

"There are quite a few familiar faces we see when we got to different parts," Allen said.

"I don't know what inspires loyalty in them but I'm glad it does.

"It's amazing they're still alive to come to our gigs (laughs)."

So why are McNally and Allen still touring the world while most of their peers enjoy retirement?

"John's a total workaholic; he's rather be on stage than at home," Allen said.

"I'm just an old ham. We get on stage and get applauded for it. I can't think of a better job.

"A lot of people look for approval in their lives and I get it from the audience every night; that'll do me fine thank you."

While their greatest hits show necessitates their biggest hits from the '60s, the band also throws in a few rare B-sides and their hits from the '80s when they resigned with their original record label Pye Records (PTR Records).

They enjoyed a resurgence in the '80s when they supported Cliff Richards, including two sell-out shows at Wembley Stadium.

Tickets are $32.