For a top class singer, a cracking band, some excellent material and a nice bit of banter, a club-like venue such as The Boardwalk comes into its own.

Chris Farlowe's voice boomed on to the Sixties blues/r'nb/soul circuit, and one of his first comments on Sunday night was to remember the Mojo Club and Joe Cocker.

He is certainly a chap with friends in high places, as you could tell as he introduced the songs.

James Brown asked him to join him on Out Of Sight on TV's Ready Steady Go, Mike D'Abo wrote Handbags and Gladrags for him and Mick and Keith (that's Jagger and Richards) gave him Out of Time. There were fond memories, too, of Steve Marriott as a prelude to a lung-bursting All Or Nothing.

Essentially, though, it was an evening of blues and soul standards such as Lonnie Mack's Tough On Me, Tough On You and T-Bone Walker's Stormy Monday Blues.

And while Farlowe's vocal range may not quite be so extensive as in his heyday, it amply retains its power and capacity to hit the target.

Here is one of the great voices of the last 50 years, who moved from The Thunderbirds (another credit, this time for fellow member, guitarist Albert Lee) through the pop charts to spells with jazz rock outfit Colosseum before a period of semi-retirement.

These days he tours with some top musicians, and there's a chance to catch him at Buxton Opera House on October 11 when he is part of a line-up recreating London's Flamingo Club, sharing the stage with Alan Price, Zoot Money, Bobby Tench and Maggie Bell.


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