This autumn sees the final Sixties Gold tour wending it's way around the country, with a veritable galaxy of sixties artists on the bill.

Top of the bill will be The Searchers (Sweets For My Sweet, Don't Throw Your Love Away and Needles And Pins), including founder member John McNally and fronted by Frank Allen, who joined the band in 1964 after leaving Cliff Bennett and The Rebel Rousers.

Also along for the ride are The Merseybeats (I Think Of You, Don't Turn Around and Sorrow (as The Merseys).

Originally managed by Brian Epstein, original members Tony Crane OBE and Billy Kinsley still front the band.

The Fortunes carried their success into the seventies with hits like Freedom Come Freedom Go, You've Got Your Troubles, Here It Comes Again and Storm In A Teacup.

PJ Proby needs no introduction. A mate of Elvis Presley, his renditions of Maria and Somewhere from 'West Side Story' along with Hold Me are stuff of music legend – as is the man himself.

Love Affair's vocalist Steve Ellis will also be on stage sing the band's hits such as Rainbow Valley and Everlasting Love.

PJ and Steve will be backed by Vanity Fare, who had hits with I Live For The Sun, Early In The Morning and Hitchin' A Ride which was a big hit Stateside.

For The Searchers though, the Sweets For My Sweet may be a little bittersweet, as this will be their last tour of this kind – and indeed next year sees their farewell tour, as bassist and frontman Frank Allen explains.

READ MORE: Can Lady Gaga act? If so, then a new movie star is born'Yes, I'm afraid it's been instigated by me. I was getting fed up of all the travelling. The miles of motorway, the traffic, the hold-ups and the roadworks.

'Don't get me wrong, the two hours on stage are fantastic and we all really enjoy playing live. It's just the getting there and getting home again afterwards.

'It's OK when you're in your twenties, but we are of a certain age. Both John and I are in our seventies, although we don't feel that old.'

The sixties package tours are very popular, probably more than any other decade, and Frank has a theory why.

'The sixties got a lot of attention. It was the first radical change in music. I'm afraid the seventies wasn't taken as seriously.

'We put a lot of thought into our shows. The order of songs is carefully worked out and we add a bit of information and humour.'

'What's great about these tours is that it's a chance to meet other people. When we are on our own tours we are a bit isolated as we all come from different parts of the country. We are all travelling together on this one so we will be renewing old friendships and catching up.'

The Sixties Gold Farewell Tour will be coming to Ipswich's Regent Theatre on October 7 and Norwich Theatre Royal on November 11 and you can purchase tickets here.