ANYONE who has been following the career of the former Purson frontwoman - Rosalie Cunningham - will most likely be aware of her love for the Beatles.

As a bit of a break from the norm while she is recording material for her new solo album, the Southend songstress and guitar virtuoso has joined forces with her dad, Mark Cunningham, on drums, plus guitarist Rosco Levee (of The Southern Slide and Walrus fame), ex-Sham 69 bassist Andy Prince and keyboard player Mark Stonell, to bring you the Sky Diamonds, a band of Beatle fans who plan to deliver their favourite Fab Four tunes.

Sky Diamonds will be making their full-length live debut at the Railway Hotel, Clifftown Road, Southend, this Saturday, March 10.

The band assembled last December to perform a short set at the Railway Hotel's annual Beatles Convention.

Rosalie explains: “We enjoyed it so much that we wanted to make it a regular band situation and put a name to it.

“All of us share a very deep love of the Beatles music – particularly from the late [Apple] period and their early 1970s solo careers, which is the basis of The Sky Diamonds’ set.

It’s a cool take on what The Beatles may have performed if they had reunited for a tour around 1974.”

Rosalie insists that The Sky Diamonds do not intend to add to the already heavily saturated tribute band market.

“We’re not getting hung up on things like looking the part and playing using authentic instruments; this is more about conveying the spirit of the music and imagining how the Fabs might have approached it in the mid-Seventies.”

The audience at music pub can expect to see the band feature numbers from The Beatles’ White Album, Abbey Road and Let It Be, as well as solo classics including Maybe I’m Amazed, Cold Turkey, Isn’t It A Pity and Back Off Boogaloo, as well as a few surprises.

“Fun is the operative word,” says Rosalie, who's forthcoming solo album will be the first since the break-up of Purson early last year.

“This offers a very healthy distraction from the pressures of creating my own new music, and it’s a privilege to be able to play songs I’ve loved all my life.”

The Sky Diamonds will be on stage at The Railway Hotel at 8.30pm.

Admission is free.