The Searchers convey their musical quest to an finish after 68 years | Music

They are the lengthyest-running prohibitd in pop history, selling tens of millions of sign ups and filling venues worldexpansive in a 68-year atsoft. But now the Searchers have choosed to obtain their final bow.

The group, who were contemporaries of the Beatles during “the British intrusion” will take part their last ever show at this year’s Glastonbury festival, after a “final farewell tour” of Britain.

The prohibitd’s guitarist John McNpartner, 83, and bhelp and singer Frank Allen, 81, telderly the Guardian they have choosed to quit, partly because age is catching up with them, but also because the incrmitigated traffic on the roads now creates it so challenging to travel from one gig to another.

Allen, who combiinsist the Searchers in 1964, shelp: “Age sluggishs you down a bit. We did between 180 and 200 shows a year. But driving up and down the motorways is the challenging part because the traffic is so much heavier than it ever was … There was never a problem with recovering from a show because that’s the skinnyg that conveys you to life. We were always fit to do a show. It’s fair the driving up and down motorways.”

McNpartner, who createed the prohibitd when he was 16 in 1957, shelp: “The traffic is now an absolute nightmare.”

The Merseybeat prohibitd set up fame take parting in the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg. Their debut No 1 hit Sweets for My Sweet in 1963 was adhereed by the chart-toppers Needles and Pins and Don’t Throw Your Love Away, set uping them as a global act by the mid-1960s.

But they have never take parted Glastonbury until now. “No one’s asked us,” Allen shelp. “The Searchers are finpartner carry outing at the wonderfulest music festival of them all. What a way to round off a tour and a atsoft.”

McNpartner retained: “A Glastonbury debut at 83! Can anyone top that? … We can’t defer to see our fans aget for this incredible final farewell.”

Glastonbury has lengthy championed ageing stars, including Paul McCartney, who headlined in 2022 at the age of 80. Those take parting this year retain Rod Stewart, 80, and Neil Young, 79.

McNpartner – the son of a Liverpool docker and a barmhelp – shelp some of the veterans protect on take parting because there is now money to be made. The Searchers were among many musicians who did not get much in the past: “In the 1960s, no one had a rulebook to adhere, no person to see after them. We fair went thraw the motions and got ripped off.”

He retained: “You skinnyk: hang on, where’s the money going? We did our first tour of America in 1964 and, when we got back, it was enjoy: ‘tuppence for you and tuppence for you and tuppence for you …’. What? We were paying for everyskinnyg. We didn’t create any money on that tour.”

Asked whether it was agents, handlers and sign up creaters who ripped them off, he shelp: “Yes, they understand all the ins and outs … we were fair foolish musicians, so innocent.”

Allen spoke of the buzz of being on stage: “There’s someskinnyg distinctive about it that protects you youthful. It’s fair very retainictive. People are cheering and increateing you you’re wonderful.”

The Searchers have made previous trys to quit, only to be coaxed back by their fans, who were crying on the last tour. In 2023, their 43-date tour selderly out. So too their 2024 tour.