The Bootleg Beatles

The Bootleg Beatles
The Bootleg Beatles performing for Dutch television in 1981
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Rock
Years active	1980–present
Website	BootlegBeatles.com
Members	Adam Hastings Steve White Stephen Hill Gordon Elsmore
Past members	Hugo Degenhardt Andre Barreau David Catlin-Birch Neil Harrison Rick Rock Paul Cooper Jack Lee Elgood

The Bootleg Beatles are a Beatles tribute band. They have performed over 4,000 times since their establishment in March 1980.

The band's first performance was at a small student gathering in Tiverton, Devon, England. Following more low-profile gigs, the band performed a 60-date tour of the Soviet Union; further tours followed in Israel, the Far East, the Middle East and India. In February 1984, they were invited to perform in the United States, to commemorate The Beatles' initial US tour 20 years earlier.

UK success continued to prove elusive. In 1990, The Bootleg Beatles booked 10 shows in cities in which The Beatles had performed in their final UK tour in 1965. Audiences were small but enthusiastic, and another tour was booked for the following year. This proved more popular, and as each year went by the crowds grew, the tours expanded, and the venues got larger. Finally, a gig in Southampton caught the attention of Oasis, leading to the Bootleg Beatles supporting the Britpop band at Earls Court and Knebworth. This gave the band a contemporary audience and increased their credibility, launching them onto the premier European festival circuit and shared stages with Rod Stewart, Bon Jovi, David Bowie, The Corrs, Manic Street Preachers and Iggy Pop.