Burns is the entrepreneur owner of Redstar, a publishing and creative services company based in Qingdao. He moved to Beijing three years ago to expand the creative side of his business and launch a new venture "Burns Guitars". Devlin works as a professional musician in Beijing. Desbuquois is a manager at Beijing Relocation Company.

Just as the real Beatles had diverging ideas on how things should be run, the Beijing four had different expectations when they formed. They play for fun, though Desbuquois was not averse to making money out of the venture if the band was going to be popular.

For Devlin, the audience is "the only thing that is important", a sentiment they all embrace.

"At the vast majority of [the shows] the audience totally get it, and that's what makes it enjoyable," Burns says.

The Beijing Beatles have played about 100 shows over the past year. One of the highlights was performing at the British Chamber of Commerce's Swinging '60s ball in Shanghai. There, the stage set was designed to resemble the Cavern Club in Liverpool, the live-music venue that was a key stop on the Fab Four's journey to fame.

A documentary film has been made about the Beijing band and Reilly's life and was broadcast on Chinese television.