Don’t miss out on a class act, they really are stars

Following the merciless devastation from last winter’s storms, the North Pier is striving to get back on its feet.

Holiday Startime is their end-of-the-pier offering, but the audience at Saturday’s show was disappointingly sparse in the vast auditorium.

Genial compere/singer, Liam Hailwood opened the show with the youthful Startime Dancers, led by Nicky Figgins, while the pounding bass sounds of the backing tracks proved overpowering and impeded Blackpool schoolteacher and cabaret singer Sara Cheston’s usual excellent delivery.

Britain’s Got Talent 2011 finalist, Steven Hall, closed the first half with his bizarre mime and dance act.

Following the interval, The Bachelors, Con and Dec Cluskey, took to the stage – the Dublin-born darlings of the 1960s and stars of stage and TV, with hits a-plenty.

They are, indeed, a class act.

Con took the vocal lead and their opening medley of hits produced their unique, unmistakeable sound. The voices had to stretch a little on occasion and vibrato is creeping in, but this mattered not as these charismatic stage veterans know exactly how to enthral their admirers.

It was good to wallow in nostalgia.

All the favourites were there including I Believe, Somewhere and a beautiful rendition of the iconic Irish folk ballad, Fields of Athenry.

Dec showed his musical versatility on guitar, keyboard and mouth-organ and the brothers also accompanied themselves on acoustic guitar, complete with onstage drummer and backing tracks. The audience were vocal in appreciation and wanted more, but the duo, sending themselves up by supporting each other and holding their backs, dramatically limped off into the wings.

They reappeared in the foyer to meet fans and pose for photos.

Catch the show 7.30pm every Saturday until August 30.

Yvonne Fielding