AFTER 50 years of non-stop touring, The Searchers are as strong as ever and will be appearing at Darwen Library Theatre on September 17.

The oldest member John McNally is 73, but none of the “lads” – Frank Allen, Spencer James and Scott Ottaway make up the quartet – are showing any signs of flagging.

Says Frank Allen: “I don’t think we have the secret of eternal youth but we do our best. The best way to stay young is to think young and to enjoy what you do. We are fortunate to be in a profession that we love. I’m 70, John McNally is 73, Spencer James is 61 and new boy Scott Ottaway is 40. I suppose retirement will be an option at some point but not in the near future. Next year's date sheet is almost full already.

“And as for the fans they’re all ages from incredibly young to fast approaching death. We had our youngest fan ever at his first concert the other day. Eight months old.”

Last year saw The Searchers inducted into the Goldmine Hall Of Fame, a fitting tribute from the influential rock magazine for their contribution to the world of popular music.

And there is more. Still in the discussion stages, there is talk of a brand new album employing the support of some of those international stars who have affirmed their admiration of the band.

Undertaking a yearly schedule of between 150 and 200 concerts, The Searchers are without doubt the hardest working band on the circuit. With a valuable stock of more than a dozen chart entries and multiple much-loved album tracks, they are the elder statesmen of Britpop.

So What keeps them going? Simple. The love of what they do, the good health to enable them to do it and an amazingly loyal fan base to ensure packed out shows all over the UK and the continents.

Australia and New Zealand are firmly fixed in their diary every year along with regular visits to far flung places such as The Philippines, The USA, Canada and the Far East, not to mention hopping over to European destinations with all the ease and comfort of catching the local bus.

And they have fans in high places. Check out Youtube to see The Boss performing When You Walk In The Room in Kilkenny on the final night of his 2013 European tour. It is a song that Bruce has included regularly in his set since his embryonic days and an audio rendition still exists from a 70s appearance at New York`s Bottom Line Club. They even get a credit during the introduction from Bruce on that occasion. It is also the most covered Searchers hit by far.

So who does the better version? According to Frank: “Without being egotistical I truly believe ours has the edge. Not for musical expertise but for the sheer natural enthusiasm we had at that time.”

The Ramones covered Needles & Pins on an album and Marky Ramone was granted his request to sit in on drums when they played The Cutting Room on West 24th Street in The Big Apple in 2007. Indeed Joey Ramone had already invaded their dressing room with all the excitement and enthusiasm of an ardent groupie at the Lone Star Café several years before during an 80s club tour over there.

Tom Petty, The Byrds, Marshall Crenshaw, Paul Carrack. They have all expressed their admiration for those rich harmonies and iconic sounds of the jangling 12-string guitar. When Frank Allen caught a New York appearance by Marshall Crenshaw in Manhattan recently, the American rocker was full of detailed questions such as ‘what happened to the monstrous white Burns Bison bass he used on those early American tours?’ There have, of course, been line-up changes over the years. Frank Allen took over from Tony Jackson on August 3, 1964, giving him an unbelievable 49 years service so far. His distinctive finger-style slapping technique, developed in early 1962, was much copied by musicians who worked alongside them at Hamburg`s famous Star Club. In fact Steve Priest, the bassist with Sweet, admits to copying Frank`s playing manner in his autobiography Are You Ready Steve?

Chris Curtis departed at the end of an Australasian tour in March 1966 and Mike Pender went his own way at the end of 1985 when Spencer James, still a Searcher today after 27 years of service, took over the lead vocals.

The drum stool has seen the most changes with John Blunt, Billy Adamson, Eddie Rothe and now Scott Ottaway taking turns.

The constant in The Searchers has always been John McNally who founded that little skiffle outfit that first became Johnny Sandon and The Searchers and eventually The Searchers in the Summer of 1962. It is a well known fact that John is a workaholic who has managed to keep his marriage and home life stable despite the extraordinary demands of the band`s workload.

The band is currently working in Los Angeles.

Will Darwen be a shock to the system? “No,” says Frank. “We have a great time wherever we are. We love the UK more than anywhere. It’s our home. Variety is the spice of life and Darwen will be just as much fun.”

So if there was one song in the last 50 years to sum up The Searchers, what would it be?

“That’s easy,” says Frank. “Rock And Roll You Gave Me The Best Years Of My Life.”