Rather than attempting to tell the whole story of the world’s most famous group, Ron Howard’s highly anticipated Fab Four documentary instead focuses on the history of the band through their touring years interspersed with remastered live footage – many of which never seen before.

Although the subject matter has been covered a thousand times before, the film manages to give an exhilarating, poignant and above all, very entertaining snapshot of The Beatles as a live act.

From the moment the band launch into ‘She Loves You’ at the ABC in Manchester in 1963, it’s clear the time spent restoring old live footage has been well spent with the pin-prick sharp picture more than matched by the simply awesome sound.

I defy anyone who finds the tale of the band’s rise to global stardom all a bit worn by now not to be impressed with the incredible restoration of these live shows which have never looked, nor sounded better.

There’s a simple pleasure in hearing these classic songs played through the cinema’s sound system – particularly the film’s title track which features Lennon and McCartney’s experimental harmonised introduction.

Although coming in at a touch over two hours, the film flies by in a haze of sweat, screaming girls and hysteria – managing to portray the whirlwind that was the band’s rise from the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg to their final paid concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 1966.

Howard has been able to capture the camaraderie between the band flawlessly using cleverly selected previously unseen interview footage of the lads helping each other deal with growing up under the pressure of increasingly intrusive press attention.

The closeness of the band in a practical fashion is none more evident than during the Shea Stadium footage where the four somehow manage to stay in time as their feeble 100 watt VOX amplifiers are drowned out by the over 50,000 manic New York teenagers.

Unexpected delights come in the shape of present-day interviews with celebrity fans including Eddie Izzard, who comments on the bands’ style, Whoopi Goldberg who touchingly regales us with the story of her trip to Shea Stadium as an obsessed child and Elvis Costello’s initial dismay at the band’s change in musical direction on ‘Rubber Soul’.

There’s something here for everyone to enjoy. Die-hard’s will swoon over the masterfully restored footage of the bands’ electric live performances whilst casual fans will appreciate an engaging crash course in early Beatles history.

Don’t forget to stick around after the final credits roll to catch a 4K restoration of band’s celebrated August 1965 Shea Stadium show – only available in cinemas.

The concert, which hasn’t been seen in full since its original broadcast in 1967, is a real treat for fans and includes rousing renditions of ‘Twist & Shout’ and ‘Help’, although my personal favourite has to be a surprisingly nervous Ringo Starr chuckling his way through lead vocals on ‘Act Naturally’.

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years is now showing at Picturehouse at FACT 

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