THE end of a Searchers concert will invariably see a small collection of teenage musicians hanging back as John McNally and the band sign autographs and chat to their fans.

As part of the first wave of the pop explosion in the Sixties, the Seachers were a virtual constant presence in the charts with hits such as Needles and Pins, Sweets for My Sweet and Sweet Nuthins.

“Oh, there’s always some young lads waiting to talk to us,” said John, who was a founder member of the group in 1959. They are all in bands and they want to ask us about how we got our sound.

“It’s quite difficult to explain to them really because we basically had no money and our equipment was awful.

“Our bassist used a home-made guitar and amp.”

Rudimental it may have been, but the sound of the Searchers was as much an essential part of Merseybeat — and in turn modern pop music — as their more illustrious contemporaries the Beatles.

And they remain as busy today as they ever were in their heyday.

“We’ve just got back from a six-week tour of Australia,” said John, “and we’re going straight into a series of shows around the UK.”

This 55-date tour includes a show at King George’s Hall, Blackburn, next Friday, followed by a series of dates in New Zealand and over two months of shows as part of the Sixties Gold show featuring the likes of PJ Proby and Gerry and the Pacemakers.

“People are always asking us why we keep working so hard,” said John. “The simple answer is that we just enjoy playing live. We don’t have to do it. We’ve all got the mortgage sorted and are secure, but we’re just so fortunate to be in a job where you can keep going.

“It’s still a great buzz to play in front of a packed house. Even on the recent tour to Australia I wondered if the bubble might burst but the theatres were packed and we were as popular as ever.”

The Searchers’ solo dates, as opposed to being part of a Sixties tour, give the band freedom to perform a wide variety of songs from their back catalogue.

“The hits have to be in there,” said John, “but we have become more relaxed over the years and we enjoy a bit of banter with the audience and also like to put in some more obscure songs every now and then. I know from going to see bands I was a fan of, to hear a rarity or an unusual cover version always gave me a thrill and that’s what we try and do for our fans.”

Now in his Seventies, John still plays five-a-side football every week “The other way to keep fit for gigs is just being on the road,” said John. “When you do as many shows as we do, just being on the road gets you match fit.”

The Seachers, King George’s Hall, Blackburn, Friday, March 28. Details from 0844 847 1664.