Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead - Apr. 11

Paul Skerritt (vocals); Stuart McLean-Fowler (MD); Paul Skerritt (vocals); Dan Johnson, Kim Skerritt, Sue Ferris, Josh Bentham, Niall Armstrong (reeds); Sam Armstrong, Benny Coxon, Dave Hignett, Michael Lamb (trumpets); Kieran Parnaby, Alex Utting, Laura Davison; Chris Gray (trombones); Jeremy McMurray (keyboards); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Jamie Watkins (double bass); Dave McKeague (drums) + Ruth Stapleton (vocals)

The Glasshouse. Hall Two. The first two tiers sold out. The Paul Skerritt Big Band, with the Main Man waiting in the wings, opened with Big Swing Face. The casual punter could be forgiven for thinking they were in for an evening of straight ahead big band jazz. Enter the Main Man...

Mr Paul Skerritt likes to have a good time and he all but insists you should have a good time too. From the off, the wisecracks came thick and fast. Skerritt is your ideal 'Rat Pack' entertainer. Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin and Curtis Stigers were but three names Skerritt happily namechecked. Witty repartee ensued, whether between the Main Man and his audience or the Main Man and his band. Sitting/hiding in the trombone section, Kieran Parnaby was frequently on the end of Skerritt's barbs. Mind you, Parnaby gave as good as he got!

 

As Skerritt did the leaping about (mid-air scissor kicks), MD Stuart McLean-Fowler did the hard work, guiding the ensemble through the evening's many charts. Powerhouse drummer Dave McKeague, on loan from the Strictly Smokin' Big Band, was all over the material. Excellent stuff. A killer trumpet section, comprising the SSBB's MD Michael Lamb, the TVBB's leader Dave Hignett, the impressive Sam Armstrong and the equally impressive Benny Coxon (Come Rain or Come Shine), appeared to be having a ball.

Audience engagement plays a big part in Mr Skerritt's performance. If some in the stalls have had a sherbet or three, so much the better. And, sure enough...they were up dancing. There's always a cheerleader, isn't there? The Main Man leapt down from the stage, singing, not quite dancing. Meanwhile, up on the stage, the PSBB got on with what it does best - playing big band jazz! During the evening, the tenors of Sue Ferris and Josh Bentham locked horns, the aforementioned K. Parnaby had a blast, the rhythm section cruised through the charts and, special guest, vocalist Ruth Stapleton, joined Mr Skerritt to sing a couple of numbers, including Slow Boat to China.

If the Paul Skerritt Big Band is on stage in Hall Two, it must be April. Next year (2027), a return visit is already pencilled in. Watch this space. Russell