The British Invasion cranked out a caravan of acts that made a seismic impact in America throughout the 1960s, but nowadays, very few are active on the road. However, in the case of Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone, it may as well be that very heyday thanks a continuous concert calendar surrounding the group’s 55th anniversary. Right after ringing in 2020, ChicagoConcertReviews.com asked the longtime leader (and actor/host of countless associations) what keeps him going as he preps of platter of hits (“I’m Into Something Good,” “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter,” “There’s A Kind Of Hush,” “I’m Henry VIII, I Am,” “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat”) for the Genesee Theatre on January 11.

What keeps you so passionate about performing live after all these years?

Peter Noone: I had friends at school who had a thing called a beat group. They all laughed a lot and seemed like good chaps, so I asked “could I be a Cyclone?” and I was in as second lead guitar. After the second rehearsal one of the lads suggested “you should be the singer” and I put down the guitar and everyone looked happy and relieved. [For] my next group, I started out as the lead singer when their lead singer Malcolm didn’t show up. I was 13 and I decided to take myself seriously. My mum bought me a blue silver lamé suit from an ad in the Manchester Evening News and I was Pete Novac. I always enjoyed singing and dancing onstage and soon I was playing the big leagues at The Cavern [Club] in Liverpool and the Oasis in Manchester. We became Herman’s Hermits after a couple of years and 20,0000 miles on our Bedford Dormobile van. I am still that same person and I travel 30,0000 miles a year on the road. It is my hobby and I love every part of it and it is my job. I also still have 27 years on my mortgage.

What are you looking forward to most about your return to the Genesee Theatre and the Chicago area?

Noone: I like playing theatres because people in the audience have paid to see and hear me. The Chicago area was always home for our records and we have a lot of followers in “The Second City” and environs. The Genesee Theatre is one of my favourite places to play.

Tell us a bit about what’s in store for your 2020 show.

Noone: I will do over 100 concerts and try to get better every night. I get to work early and stand on the stage, then walk around the room to see what the audience will see. I remind myself how lucky I am to not be playing at the cavern or a bingo hall in Manchester and I relish everything in the place. I am determined that this night I will be the best show I ever did. It all sounds a bit Panglossian I know, but there you have it. Ten more years of that!

The British Invasion is such a beloved era to this day. Why do you feel it continues to resonate with so many generation?

Noone: I think it’s about the songs and the enthusiasm. All British people of that era had not heard the word “blasé” or “cool,” so we all were artists lead by brilliant songwriters and poets.

Were there any really crazy experiences that took place when it was all getting started?

Noone: As we started, we had nothing to compare ourselves to, so all the same things that happen to everyday people happened to us. We were thin, so we could jump off hotel roofs and hit the pool with some regularity. We prepaid for any damage at hotels and a good example was we negotiated with the Holiday Inn the cost to redecorate the room for [The Who drummer] Keith Moon’s birthday party and no car went in the pool. I’ve still not seen a hotel pool that you can get a car in. Maybe you could help? The white railings and the space between the ice machine are problematical.

What other British Invasion bands were you close to at the time and who have you stayed in touch with the most?

Noone: One of the things about the groups in the so-called British Invasion was that we all knew each other. I am close to Eric Burdon [of The Animals] as I can remember all the stuff he has forgotten and [he] lives near me. I am sad to say that the people I was attracted to in the 1960s rarely made it into their 60s, but I was friends with the Bee Gees, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Donovan, [The Rolling] Stones. You know, all the usual.

So many of your songs are engrained into the public consciousness all over the world. Which ones do you feel best represent Herman’s Hermits?

Noone: “I’m Into Something Good,” “There’s A Kind Of Hush All Over The World” and some of the hits that I play that are works in progress still, like “Listen People.”

Is recording new material a priority at any point or do you mainly prefer revisiting the past?

Noone: I make records for fun. Hard to believe, but all those Herman records were fun. I did a remake of [The Easybeats’] “Friday On My Mind” with a great group called The Weeklings and a song called “Ooh Girl” with The Red Button. I was in the studio recently with Carla Olson and we cut a new version of [The Searchers’] “Goodbye, My Love” for fun I think. At least there was no contract, so it implied consent. I hope she sells a billion downloads.

You’re also a star of stage and the TV screen in a multitude of roles. Are there any favorites that stand out?

Noone: I enjoyed “The Pirates of Penzance” on Broadway and I liked being the cross-dressing murderer/manager in “Quantum Leap.”

What do you hope will ultimately be your legacy as an entertainer?

Noone: As an entertainer, the songs will speak for themselves. The singer is just the instrument.

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Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone perform at the Genesee Theatre on Jan. 11. For additional details, visit HermansHermits.com, PeterNoone.com and GeneseeTheatre.com.