More than 40 years ago, when rock bands were called groups', package tours were commonplace.

The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Jimi Hendrix Experience all did the rounds of Britain's cinemas such as Bradford's Gaumont (later the Odeon) and other venues.

Bill-toppers usually did two shows a night, each set lasting about 20 minutes. Then it was back on the tour bus and off to another destination.

Years after the 1960s ran out of runway, in the economically cheerless early 1980s, the package tour was revived. The Solid Silver 60s Tour first began in 1984 and has been selling out concert halls ever since.

Proof positive, perhaps, of the timeless value of classic pop songs and the feel-good factor of the 1960s. But is this passion for the past also indicative of anxiety about the present?

Gerry Marsden, of Gerry and The Pacemakers, says: "The thing about Sixties music is that it was very simple and the lyrics were memorable. After three or four plays you could sing a song. They had humour too.

"Songs that are massive hits are simple - not Smart Alec clever. "Every night of the tour is a sell-out. People say to me, You know, I don't think the music of today will be around in 40 years' time'. They cannot get into today's music, they can't associate with it. Today's music seems too miserable.

"Another thing, I wasn't conscripted for National Service. I might have lost all the fun I had, because once you were in the Army you changed completely. Not being conscripted helped us to keep bands together."

The bands of the Sixties, led by The Beatles, projected the country and its culture forwards into a new age. That's not happening now, so people are reaching back into the past.

"We need something new like The Beatles. We need something like that," Gerry added.

Gerry Marsden will forever occupy a corner of the hearts of Bradford City fans. After the 1985 fire disaster he sang You'll Never Walk Alone at Valley Parade and released a charity single to raise funds for victims of the blaze.

On the afternoon that Bradford City beat Liverpool 1-0 to stay in the Premiership, City fans ran the length of the pitch towards Liverpool's massed support and, in a scene that made grown men cry, raised their hands and sang that anthem back to them.

Gerry said: "Oh that's smashing, that a song can bring people together like that. Anybody who saw that dreadful fire would have done something. All we could do was get as many friends together as possible and record the song. I was very proud of that. That version of You'll Never Walk Alone went to the top, not only in England. I was collecting cheques for the disaster fund in Australia and Hong Kong. People all over the world were touched by that terrible disaster - God bless them."

In their heyday in the mid-1960s, Gerry and The Pacemakers had three consecutive No.1 hits - How Do You Do It?, I Like It, and You'll Never Walk Alone. Gerry Marsden later wrote other fine songs for the group, Ferry Cross The Mersey and Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying.

They disbanded in 1966 but, like other groups touring in the Solid Silver 60s Show, reformed to take advantage of the wave of nostalgia.

"After 1966 I was in the West End for five years with Charlie Girl. I reformed the band in 1972 and since then I have had lots of different guys in it," Gerry said.

Will he ever pack it in? "No, no. I get too much joy out of playing - more than golf. Showbiz is my life, my family. As long as I can sing, as long as I've got my health, Gerry Marsden will be there singing the songs."

The show also includes the Swinging Blue Jeans, Dave Berry and - take a deep breath - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich.

Old rockers will remember that the Blue Jeans had top ten UK hits with The Hippy Hippy Shake and You're No Good.

Dave Berry had three top ten hits with The Crying Game, Little Things and Mama.

Dave Dee and his mates from Wiltshire reached No. 1 with The Legend of Xanadu and had six other top ten hits: Bend It, Hold Tight, Save Me, Touch Me Touch Me, Okay and Zabadak! The group also enjoyed worldwide success, particularly in Australia.

  • The Solid Silver 60s Show 2008 can be seen at Leeds Grand at 4pm and 7.30pm on March 30 (ring 0870 1214901 for tickets) and Halifax's Victoria Theatre on April 18, starting at 7.30pm (tickets from 01422 351158).