Three tribute shows at Thornden Hall this autumn

If you fancy a night of familiar songs without the stadium prices, Thornden Hall in Chandler's Ford has lined up three tribute shows across October and November. It's a recurring theme for the venue, which bills the run as "three huge nights, three legendary acts, one incredible venue", and the box office is urging people to book early because the shows are expected to sell out.

The season opens on Friday 9 October with Buddy Holly & The Cricketers, a rock 'n' roll show marking Buddy Holly's 90th birthday. It's not just Holly, though: the set pulls in hits from Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, The Everly Brothers, Ray Charles and Roy Orbison. The five professional musician-actors have been touring the act in theatres across the UK and overseas for 34 years and were named Britain's most popular Buddy Holly act after appearing on BBC One's The One and Only with Graham Norton. Expect original arrangements, energetic rhythms, a bit of humour and audience participation, with a setlist that runs from "That'll Be The Day", "Peggy Sue" and "Chantilly Lace" to "La Bamba", "Raining in My Heart" and "True Love Ways". The show runs two hours plus a 20-minute interval, tickets start at £25, and it also raises money for a local charity.

Next up on Saturday 14 November are The Upbeat Beatles, a tribute band from Haslemere that tracks the Beatles' journey from the early Cavern days through Beatlemania, America, Sgt Pepper and Abbey Road. They're known for a powerhouse version of "Twist and Shout", and the Thornden Hall set is expected to lean on singalongs like "Hey Jude", "Let It Be", "Come Together" and "Yesterday", backed by precise harmonies and a full multimedia presentation. The band is touring widely, with dates in Minehead, Norwich, Coalville, Chipping Norton, Ipswich and Weston-Super-Mare around the same period.

Closing the autumn run on Friday 20 November is Fleetwood Shack, an emotional and energetic celebration of Fleetwood Mac. Based in Abertillery in Blaenau Gwent and formed in 2021, the band is built around recreating the distinctive sound, harmonies and atmospheric live experience of the classics: "Go Your Own Way", "Dreams", "The Chain", "Everywhere", "Don't Stop", "Little Lies", "Landslide" and "Silver Springs". The line-up puts Chantelle and Jack Stuckey on lead vocals, Nick Jones on lead guitar, Shaun Culleton on bass, Max Howell on drums and Aled Rhys Evans on keyboards and synthesizers.

Booking is straightforward: the box office is on 023 8024 6555, with telephone bookings Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, and online booking available 24/7 with tickets to print at home or show on your phone. There's a £1.50 fee for online transactions and £1 for telephone bookings, but none if you buy at the box office or the school reception. Discounts usually cover children, students and over-60s, and children under 24 months aren't admitted unless the event is made for them. Thornden Hall sits at Thornden School on Winchester Road, SO53 2DW, about ten minutes from Junction 12 of the M3, with the BlueStar number 1 bus running from Nuffield Hospital or Chandler's Ford station.