EDITOR'S CHOICE BRIDGWATER NEWS Going vegan "could save the planet" Air quality in Sedgemoor ALBION NEWS Albion return for powerful Hodge MUSIC Multi-million selling act drifts to Playhouse, Weston THEATRE Budding pantomime stars needed for Cinderella production READER COMPETITION ROLL ON SUMMER WITH BRACE'S BREAD - We have fantastic prizes to give away! VOTE What types of shops does Bridgwater need more of? Clothes White goods Furniture Music/DVDs Other GET OUR NEWS BY E-MAIL Just register

Most read Comments 1 Going vegan "could save the planet" 2 First female committee life member for Carnival 3 Air quality in Sedgemoor 4 FA accolade for Rhode Lane Wanderers 5 How the pool matches finished 6 Othery coal charity donates funds to village hall restoration 7 Firefighters cut casualty from car after M5 crash 8 Hotel death "not suspicious" 9 Eager Beavers appeal to new leaders 10 Batting depth pays off for Shapwick Today | 7 Days 1 Man seriously injured after Dunball crash 2 Sedgemoor nets share of £300million 3 Haygrove campaigners look for youth support 4 MP's attempt to avoid traffic chaos this summer 5 British for 47 years - now "foreigner" Michael could lose his job 6 Dog owners fall foul of law 7 Police think body is missing man

Neville Staple during his recent performance at the Palace

SKA fans across Bridgwater filled Palace nightclub on Thursday night to witness the return of a genuine two-tone legend.

Former Specials star Neville Staple and his backing band relived the 80s as they ploughed through old classics, fantastic covers and a variety of his own material.

Neville didn't grace the newly refurbished stage until gone 10pm and the crowd's anticipation for his performance was nearing breaking point before the great man slipped into his first song of the night.

As usual, he was on top form, churning out a wonderful rendition of the Toots and the Maytals anthem Pressure Drop and he pumped up the crowd with an early performance of the Specials hit Monkey Man.

His renowned, baritone vocals were as smooth as honey on a hot summer's day and he still has the enthusiasm for performing he possessed in the early days of the second Ska revival, bringing delight to those who remember it first time around.

He and his band certainly looked the part, with Neville wearing a perfectly tailored beige suit, adding to the two-tone authenticity.

His assured, confident and energetic live sets are a true testament to the Neville Staple experience. The audience is always assured of a high-quality and professional performance from a man who lives for Ska.

It was great to see a variety of ages at the Palace. Parents brought their children along to see an icon from the days when pop music was all about pork pie hats and braces, possibly in the hope that this legend would influence them in the same way he did when they were youngsters.

Bridgwater favourites and rising stars the Ska Bucks provided support, whetting the appetite of the packed Palace crowd before the main event.

The youngsters looked assured throughout and possess an abundance of confidence. Their cover version of Kate Nash's Foundations may have been audacious but they really pulled it off, prompting an array of jumping bodies on the dance floor.

The Palace crowd went home thrilled and content with their dose of upbeat Ska from a legendary performer, knowing full well this fix will tide them over until he hopefully returns to Bridgwater next year.

11:08am Friday 2nd May 2008

Print

Email this