The Monkees, the sixties US pop sensations, were a made for TV band born out of an ad seeking young men to create a show inspired by The Beatles.

The band’s show lasted two seasons, but went further than just a television programme, hitting the charts with songs like ‘I’m a Believer’, ‘Last Train To Clarksville’, and ‘Daydream Believer’

After the Monkees split, Mike Nesmith continued with a solo career and was the person who invented MTV.

The band’s legacy endures, as shown by the outpouring of grief following the death of Peter Tork last week.

Nesmith is heading our way in June, joined by fellow band member Micky Dolenz for The Monkees Present: The Mike and Micky Show.

Speaking with Lorna Subritzky prior to the news of Tork’s death, Nesmith spoke of how they never expected the band to be a success.

"The shows creators and producers were making a television show, and the fact it took off like that was a mystery to us."

He says they learnt a lot from their contemporaries, such as The Beatles. 

"At the end of the day, we were very careful not to infringe on any territory and just play those pop songs that we were writing."

Nesmith says that he and Dolenz make good music together. He says that the concert is essentially them "hanging out" and that it is mostly "a hoot". 

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW ABOVE