Route 65. Covers band based in Ilkley, Yorkshire. UK. Last update 26th March 2025

We are a band of fun loving folk who came together through a love of music - especially sing along, foot tapping sixties stuff when music was real music!

We met through the University of the Third Age (U3A) and had so much in common we decided to form a band. Route 65 has been going for around 6 years now though we had a bit of an extended enforced break recently

We all live in or around the A65 Ilkley/Menston area of Yorkshire, the inspiration for the band name.

If we ever forget where we live, (Good evening officer!) - the band name serves the dual purpose of helping the emergency services get us home - should that ever be needed.

About Us

We are a seven piece semi-acoustic band that plays at gigs ranging from community care homes to pub gardens, large outdoor fetes and just about everything in between.

STOP PRESS: For really small venues such as care home lounges we do a cut down setup doing similar material but with just four of us using acoustic instruments. If you are interested in this format please message us and ask about 'The Fab Four'. We would be pleased to help

We have keyboards, guitars bass and percussion and five vocalists allowing for many different styles and the use of multipart vocal harmonies.

We use two different amplification setups depending on the size of event: A small busker amplifier arrangement for the smaller events and a full public address rig for larger spaces and outdoor events.

Our main aims are for the audience (and ourselves) to have fun dancing or singing along on a trip down memory lane. Along the way we raise money for charity.

Charges: We aim to support charities so don't charge as such - giving 95% of whatever income we have to three main charities. We do accept bribes of tea and cake or occasionally a beer however. For non charity events such as private parties we suggest a minimum donation which we distribute to our preferred charities. We can talk this through if you are looking to book the band.

Travel: We normally play venues within a 20 mile or so distance of Ilkley. This is relatively relaxed so chat with us and we'll see if we can help.

The Music

The original artists we cover include:

Beatles, Kinks, Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones, Searchers, Simon and Garfunkel, Abba, Tina Turner, Mamas and the Papas, Martha and the Vandellas, Manfred Mann, Travelling Wilburys, Honeycombs, Dusty Springfield, The Monkees, Queen, Status Quo, Dire Straits and many more!

Special requests:

If we have enough notice we can add in songs not currently in our repertoire. We have also been known to rewrite lyrics of a song to suit special occasions. Chat to us if you think that may be a good idea.

A special request may include one of guests performing a song or two with our help. This can be a lot of fun but does need a bit of planning.

A typical setlist:

Set 1 50 minutes - a bit quieter

Sweets for my sweet-Searchers; Can't buy me love - Beatles; I want to hold your hand - Beatles; I_m a believer Neil Diamond/The Monkees 1967; California Dreamin Mamas and the Papas; Sound of Silence Simon and Garfunkel; Will you still love me tomorrow Shirelles; I only want to be with you Dusty SpringField; Bus Stop - Hollies; Hard Days Night - Beatles; Nowhere Man - Beatles ,Lennon and Mcartney; Ruby Tuesday - The Rolling Stones; Sunny Afternoon - Kinks; When You Walk In The Room - Jackie DeShannon; When I'm 64 - Beatles; Last Train to Clarksville - The Monkees; Wild Thing - The Troggs;

Set 2 60 minutes - a lot noisier - mostly

Hoochie Coochie man - Eric Clapton (Special request!); Can't get enough of your love - Bad company; Make Me Smile - Steve Harley & Cockney rebel. c 1975; Mrs Robinson - Simon and Garfunkel; We gotta get out of this place - The Animals; Happy Together - The Turtles; I'm into something good - Hermans Hermits; Layla - Eric Clapton; Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison ; Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond; Around and around - Stones; That'll be the day - Buddy Holly 1957; Rock and Roll Music - Chuck Berry; Shake Rattle and Roll - Bill Haley and the Comets; Be Bop a lula - Gene Vincent ; Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins; River deep Mountain high - Tina Turner; Whole lotta shaking goin on - Jerry Lee Lewis;

The next few public gigs (updated 26th March 2025)

There may be some appearances marked as provisional in the list below. We are juggling calendars and family holidays and hope to firm up these dates in the near future. We do try to keep the Riverside dates on the 1st and 3rd wednesdays but sometimes this doesn't work out. Please keep an eye on this list.

We have been very busy in the first couple of months of 2025 adding to the repertoire with new songs from Fleetwood Mac, Abba, Quo and a few others. As the weather warms up the twice a month gigs will be starting at the Riverside Hotel in Ilkley - please check back here for times and dates.

There are some biggies already booked this year including Pat's Party (Sat 28th June), Ilkley Live garden music festival (July 11th/12th) and we are also taking part in the Glistenbury Music Festival (Sat 9th August - playing in the afternoon 2:30PM)

Sat 19th April - Easter Saturday. (Ilkley Duck race day!). We'll be in the Ilkley Riverside Pub Alfresco area - time 3pm onwards

Sat 24th May Find us at Ilkley Bandstand from 2-4pm approx

Sun 6th July. The Yorkshire White Rose Classic bike event starting and finishing at Nell Bank outdoor centre. We'll be entertaining the riders and their guests - times TBC.

A lot of the public gigs are outdoors so please check before travelling just in case we are rained off! If something is cancelled because of weather or any other reason we will try and update the calendar on the upcoming gigs page (or message us and ask.)

Here is a taster promo video.

Contact Information

Contact Andy on 07808 751605 (also on Whatsapp)

Or Alan on 07879 529820, also on Whatsapp.

Click this link to email us