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If a tribute act does not sound like the act they are paying tribute to then it’s time to give up. Luckily singer Pete Bultitude performed an incredible likeness to the multi-instrumentalist. The band were equal to his quality re-creating all the solo hits from the ‘Serious’ tour of the early 1990s including ‘Groovy Kind Of Love’,’ Sussudio’, ‘In The Air Tonight’ to name but a few. Given that Collins has a unique drum sound, I was impressed that this too was re-created precisely. A tremendous atmosphere and well worth the encore. One of the best tribute shows on the circuit.

Assembly Hall, Worthing
12 November
Rating:
Lee Stevens

Zoot suits and spats were the order of the day for this celebration of swing music, jitterbugging and all things Harlem circa 1920. The music was provided by The Harry Strutters Hot Rhythm Orchestra who were tight when called for and loose when required to swing and improvise. Their personalities certainly came through in their playing, creating a fun relaxed atmosphere and a perfect backdrop for dance troupe The Jiving Lindy Hoppers to showcase their talents. A nice variety of vocals from Megs Etherington and Jay Park singing the hits of Cab Calloway, Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald rounded off a splendid evening.

Pavilion Theatre, Worthing
11 November
Rating:
Lee Stevens

Sixties folk legend, Janis Ian, started the evening recounting how at age 17 she made a dignified exit to cries of ‘nigger-lover’ when performing ‘Society’s Child’ – her song of black on white romance in civil rights America. After a subsequent off-stage altercation with the promoter, who called her a coward, she returned and it was the bigots in the audience making a skulking retreat once the lights of the ushers picked them out. Such parables and assured performances of ‘At Seventeen’, ‘The Other Side Of The Sun’ and more, with the syrupy, guitar licks and bluesy extemporizing from one of folk’s greats and you left feeling that this was a pure, one-off.

St George’s Church, Kemp Town
12 November
Rating:
Jan Goodey

They’ve performed on 36 of the last 45 nights but if you were expecting a subdued performance from the London-based Foreign Beggars, then you’d be wrong.

Metropolis and DJ No Names were rowdy from the get go and by the time they dropped ‘Contact’, just a few songs in, the whole place had properly kicked off.

The genre-defying outfit dedicated most of the night to a mixture of heavy dance fused dub-step with a bit of hip-hop thrown in.

Their energetic performance, intense bass lines and demands for the crowd to “do better than that” left everyone wanting more.

Concorde 2,
12 November
Rating:
Kayleigh Lewis