On a rainy grey evening, the talent troupe that is Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox put on a colourful and spectacular display at the genteel Pavillion theatre in Bournemouth.

The good people of the seaside town came out in their droves resplendent in vintage and retro style clothing. There’s always been a strong vintage scene in Bournemouth, but when Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox are in town, it becomes even more apparent.

Despite the main man himself not being part of the UK tour (the USA tour is also running concurrently) there was a real sense of anticipation which saw some new faces to the UK tour including the supremely talented Effie Passero who is an exceptional vocalist who sings with the utmost emotion.

It was a very welcome return for the exquisitely dapper and charismatic LaVance Colley who as well as absolutely slaying every vocal stepped into Scott’s shoes as band compere.

Postmodern Jukebox are just like a musical box of chocolates, there is a song/styling and vocalist for everyone, but the beauty of it all is that they are all magnificent.

There are no weak links in either their recorded material or their live performances. The cast for the UK’s of Life In The Past Lane’s tour was chock-full of exciting vocalists, talented instrumentalists, and a superb tap dancer.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to listen to Postmodern Jukebox (or PMJ as they are fondly known) then you should definitely do so. In a nutshell, they recreate/twist up both historic and contemporary hits in jazz, swing and doo-wop styles.

From magnificent vocal harmonising on a powerful rendition of Ellie Goulding’s ‘Burn’ by the PMJ ladies where tremendous trio really brought the fire to LaVance’s thrill-a-minute cover of ‘Forget You’ by CeeLo Green, the audience were entranced by the musical masterclass from the PMJ crew.

He also delivered a wondrous version of ‘Halo’ by Beyonce too.Another highlight was ‘Lovefool’, ‘Seven Nation Army’ which was one of the most sultry and emphatic version sung by the fantastic Tia Simone.

A cutesy Andrew Sisters’ styled version of the Spice Girls seminal track ‘Wannabe’ was another standout. This was an uplifting and glitzy rendition of an iconic song.

There was a sonic shift with the aforementioned Effie Passero and a heartfelt, goosebump-inducing rendition of Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’ which actually rendered me to tears.

This was THE performance of the night and Effie Passero had the audience spellbound. You could literally hear a pin drop – it was an unforgettable performance.

For a fun-filled and joyous night of live music, you can’t fail to be entertained or indeed enchanted by the stellar line up that is Postmodern Jukebox.

If you are looking for a masterclass in performance that is both euphoric and mesmerising, the PMJ crew delivers in spades and does so impeccably and of course – always in style!

Photography – Joe Flanagan and Emma Harrison

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