When you can see Shakatak and Kenny Thomas in Peterborough

Shakatak – along with bands such as Level 42, Light of the World, Freeez, Linx and Incognito – were all part of the UK Jazz Funk scene in the 1980s, a scene that certainly had a big following in Peterborough at the time with regular club nights at venues such as The Fleet Centre in Fletton, The Grove in Woodston along with Slickers Club at The Cresset.

It was the release of the 1981 single Easier Said Than Done that gave the band the radio exposure needed for their first Top 20 hit. This record introduced their instrumental-unison vocal sound to a much wider audience, and the track stayed in the UK Ssingles chart for 17 weeks.

The band actually headlined one of the early Willow Festival events in Peterborough way back in 1999.

On October 24 they return to The Key Theatre for what will be the follow up performance. Support comes from Louise Mehan, lead singer from UK’s number one Soul Band SouLutions.

Tickets from £22.50 are available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/tosb/t-yxzllo or call 0333 66 4466

Kenny Thomas, the multi-platinum selling and twice BRIT Award nominated artist will be on the same stage two days later as he takes his band on the road to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Voices.

The album featured the hits Thinking About Your Love, Outstanding, Tender Love and Best Of You.

Special guest for the show is Acantha Lang . Although born in New Orleans, it was in Harlem, New York, that Lang began her career, performing regularly with New York’s biggest session musicians at The Harlem Grill for her weekly residency ‘Monday Night Blues’.

For three years she was backed by some of NY’s heaviest session players with credits including Chaka Khan, Prince and Roy Ayers to name a few.

It was only when she relocated to London from New York that she put her own band together and started really developing her sound.

Tickets from the TOSB box office on 0333 666 44 66 or online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/tosb/t-xkxaex