THE SOUNDS of the Sixties will come to Oakworth next month as Keighley band Retro Echo make their live debut.

And it’s the real thing, for most of the musicians played in bands during the swinging decade when they were young men.

The guys are urging people attending the Musical Time Machine concert to join in with the singing and get up for a jive during two hours of classic 1950s and 1960s hits.

The concert at Oakworth Methodist Church on September 2 will feature Oxenhope guitarist Peter Wharton who in his home city of Liverpool played with the Deerstalkers and once shared the bill with The Beatles.

There’s Oakworth drummer Derek Arnold who began playing as a young teenager, and in bands like Flying Colours and The Sunset moved from Keighley youth clubs and churches to the 1970s Northern pub and club circuit.

And Wilsden bass player Dennis Stockden started playing in bands as young as 11 or 12 with fellow members of his school orchestra.

The line-up is completed by Oakworth keyboard player Pete Westwood, who also teaches guitar, and Keighley guitarist Mick Greenwood who performs locally with the Hip Replacements.

The September 2 concert will also be a reunion for musicians who between them have spent several decades playing with renowned Keighley drama group HYT or its successor KYDZ.

Derek joined HYT - originally Holycroft Youth Theatre -- in the mid-1970s following its first show Stan and went on to perform with them for 30 years.

The drummer played in the band alongside Dennis Stockden, who joined after his young daughter Helen became a member of HYT, and Mick.

After HYT disbanded 11 years ago the trio continued with its successor group KYDZ Keighley Youth Theatre – now based at Oakworth Methodist Church – in a varying line-up that has also included Pete and Peter.

Dennis said the Musical Time Machine would feature songs by the likes of Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Cliff Richard, Kinks and the Beatles.

He said: “It’s a celebration of that era. It will also almost be like an old-style ‘hop’– we want people to mill around rather than sit in rows, to get up and dance.

“It’s also it’s the 50th anniversary of the Sgt Pepper album which marked a watershed in music, so we’re playing the songs that led up to the album and influenced the Beatles.”

The concert will raise money for the church’s Mission Possible improvement fund and for KYDZ.

Visit oakworthmethodists.org to book tickets, which cost £6 for adults and £5 for children.