The beat does indeed go on, and so too, inevitably, does time. With the bright young things of the swinging 1960s now hitting their sixties it's tempting to paint a caustic picture of pathetic entertainers still trying to hold on to their youth in increasingly desperate ways.

Thankfully, despite the non-appearance of Billy J Kramer, the evening's acts Billie Davis, PJ Proby and The Searchers were at ease with their years and put on a fine and dignified show peppered with a fine line in self-depreciating humour last Friday.

They may be considered easy listening favourites now, but way back in the early 1960s they were cutting edge hip Billie Davies' biggest hit Tell him ( from 1962) was a cover of US group The Exciters.

It was duly despatched with consumate professionalism by the diminutive songstress who supplied a varied and lively set.

Her version of Angel of the Morning ( re-tooled by Shaggy for a number one earlier this year) was exquisite and she belted through the Jackie Wilson classic Higher and Higher with verve and lan.

PJ Proby is of course a different kettle of fish. A good -looking, good ol' Southern boy with a reputation for hell raising and scandal, nowadays he looks more like Colonel Sanders than the svelte Elvis-like hip shaker of yore.

Nevertheless his oak-soaked voice has burnished with time and he was in fine fettle. He duly despatched the biggies; Hold Me (complete with a hilarious tongue -in cheek -wiggle of the hips) and a show stopping Maria from West Side Story.

His fruity comic asides and revelation on how he got his name on the suggestion of Eddie Cochran's girl Sharon Sheeley because the local police station was too familiar with his real name ! were unexpected treats.

As was the ritual ripping of the trousers to mark the historic event 37 years ago to the day at Croydon Fairfield which resulted in his ban from TV stations in Britain and sealed his notoriety.

A trouper to the last. As was Peter Sarstedt. A last minute replacement for Billy J, way back in the sixties the hip young beat fans of the rest of this evening's bill would have booed the sudden inclusion of a bloomin' folkie. But Peter, along with brother Clive, won the suprisingly still sceptical audience round.

And so to The Searchers.

The second biggest band from Liverpool in the early 1960s, The Searchers have undergone various line up changes down the years, including a spin-off group lead by former Searcher Mike Pender. This incarnation included long-serving Searchers Frank Allen and John McNally.

Dressed in sharp merseybeat suits, the quartet came on to a pretty flash light show, and belted through the hits interlaced with lashing of comic interludes from Frank.

It soon became apparent that the band have finally managed to balance their rather schizophrenic heritage; pop icons-cum- cabaret kings.

Frank played the MC/ raconteur to the hilt, encouraging the audience to sing along, and cracking jokes; introducing new boy Spencer as proof that Christopher Biggins and Cilla Black had a lovechild.

It was all a bit Butlins. And then they went back to the music and you realised just how big they were. And what hits they had Sweets for my sweet, Sugar and Spice, Needles and Pins, What have they done to the Rain were all aired.

They knocked out Love Potion No.9, (A US number one) then covered Mr Tambourine Man revealing the debt owed to them by not only the Byrds but every country-rock outfit after them.

Tonight, the cabaret kings also reminded us they were

once pop princes.

December 3, 2001 13:00