The 60's Summer Party at the Charles Hotel was a fun show - with DJ Justisse who really cranked out some classic...

The 60's Summer Party at the Charles Hotel was a fun show - with DJ Justisse who really cranked out some classic 60's tunes that had everyone on the dance floor. F.A.B! Not a DJ of many words though - it is all about the music with him it would seem, and the music he chose certainly spoke for itself and for his meticulous knowledge of the era. In his characteristic International Rescue uniform, this John Tracy look alike shows an attention to detail and his insistence that people dancing come up on the stage is a charming touch. With his keen eye clearly honed to 60's sensibilities he was a great costume judge too.

Watching a lot of Mystery Science Theatre 3000, I have seen more than my fair share of terrible 60's teen movies complete with gogo boots and spontaneous beach music. It was like having a flashback to that but the music and dancing were much better and the entire production much more coherence than, and probably a lot more budget than, say, Girl in Gold Boots did.

Jaye Yates was a woman energised by the smallish but very enthusiastic crowd - she does a very good Dusty Springfield and her stage presence is very appealing. She has a great rapport with the audience, and her lovely voice is complimented by her lively actions. Jaye opened with a bunch of Dusty Springfield songs, Earl then joined her for a duet with Something Stupid. Afterwards she gave us a great mix of Diana Ross and The Supremes, Petula Clark,Leslie Clark, Beatles and I'm glad to say The Easybeats - all a pleasure to hear.

She's certainly one to look out for and her duets with +Earl Cole were engaging and a lot of fun. Frank and Nancy were certainly with them both with their duet of Something Stupid.

Earl Cole bravely gave us a Beach Boys set despite feeling that his voice is not of the right type - he shouldn't have worried! It's interesting and fun to hear these differing versions of well known songs - and if he feels it wasn't quite up to snuff, the audience certainly didn't think so. I really enjoyed his Monkees offerings – such a lot of fun and hearing Earl’s smooth and clear tones arc out over the enthusiastic crowd of dancers was something I’m glad I didn’t miss. Tom Jones, Neil Diamond all mellifluously rollicking from Earl’s skilled voicebox.

Both singers were backed up by the Impact Dancers - Meg Geldart and Stacey Povoas who performed splendidly - well rehearsed and very skilled. And such lovely, happy expressions. I’m going to give them a plug here, because I think dancers are under appreciated. It’s well known that a good dancer will be smiling even as their ankles crack, but these women were energetic throughout a long night and kept what looked like genuinely cheerful expressions the whole time. They were a pleasure to watch and added a great deal of fun and interest to the show. It looked like they took their other job of judging the dance competition very seriously too.

The singers and dancers had multiple costume changes throughout the show – a seemingly never ending pageantry of visual interest as well as audio.

For a show of this length - really a lot of entertainment - from 8 to 12! - it would be expected to have a few hitches. But there weren't many and those that did occur were dealt with swiftly and with disarming humour.

DJ, two singers, dancers and a great crowd made for a very entertaining evening. It's interesting that there wasn't a feeling of nostalgia or sadness at its passing, the audience and performers were celebrating the music, retro though it is, it is living music when it's performed by the right people. And these are the right people.

Photos taken by myself when I wasn't dancing with my sunflower. :-)
https://goo.gl/photos/uSrUqoZaJmAZZu88A