The Questors Theatre in Ealing is a surprisingly good and seated venue, with a large stage, almost in the round, and for the audience, still intimate. Think The Stables in Milton Keynes but smaller. Great sound and a great bar staff too. So a great venue choice for The Marquee Club All Star Band with their sold out show.

The mission of The Marquee Club All Star Band is to bring the music of The Marquee Club alive in 2025 and beyond for everyone to enjoy. For those living in a parallel musical universe, The Marquee Club in Soho’s Wardour Street in London was the raw, sweaty, up close, legendary world class hotspot, which spawned and showcased the talent of so many, including The Eurythmics and John Foxx.

The memory of the Marquee Club is close to my heart. I know, I was there as a young teenager - retrospectively probably under age – looking cool and older like Siouxsie Sioux at the time - basking in those mind-blowing gigs on the small stage. And it was a real club. We were all in there, crowded together watching iconic acts perform and make music history, influencing us and shaping our destiny. Which The Marquee Club did, with other legendary artists who played there being The Rolling Stones, The Who, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Robert Palmer, Black Sabbath, The Faces, David Bowie and AC/DC. Indeed, look how they have each shaped the world’s culture and lives.

Conor Hughes with his cool raw Blues and solo acoustic set opened. Hughes held the crowd with his sound, set and originality. Twenty odd years old, fresh from his full band at the Ealing Blues Festival, Conor's raw vocally, talented on the guitar touch and expressive in tone. An emerging artist, definitely one for the British Blues scene watchers to check out at any gig.

Headlining were The Marquee Club All Star Band, whose band members have a solid back catalogue of experience. Driven by the force of nature that is Simple Minds’ Mel Gaynor, who played at Live Aid no less, Gaynor (also on vocals) is a superb drummer and bandleader, although, each of his band deserve a shout out. Gus Isidore (Marc Bolan, Peter Green, Peter Gabriel, Phil Lynott and Seal), in his cool Marquee Club t-shirt, captivated me with his passionate, intense guitar playing and superb licks. With Dave Boyce (Samson, Quireboys, Skyscraper and Heavy Pettin’) laying down the bass, as well as Adam Day (Simply Red , Elton John and The Blockheads) on keys, you just knew that these guys were going to entertain you.

Their front man was UK newcomer Nic Billington from South Africa, whose vocals and showman style, rocked and delivered. Striding the stage, clad in shades, leather jacket and gloves, Billington blew the multigenerational demographic away. The right choice for a right on, Rock on, Rock God, of whom later on in the set, stepped down into the crowd and faced up close to and with his adoring audience.

A straight-ahead, ramped up, superb set list from the get-go, paid homage to yesteryear, including ‘Seeker’, ‘White Room’, ‘Voodoo Child’, ‘Little Wing’, ‘Smoke on the Water’, ‘Whole Lotta Love’, ‘Heartbreaker’ (featuring a Gaynor drum solo), ‘Addicted to Love’, ‘Gimme Some Lovin’, ‘All Right Now’, ‘Rebel Rebel’, ‘Paranoid’, ‘Tush’ and ‘Highway to Hell’. With a band of this calibre, they not only played these numbers super competently, but just as importantly brought the Marquee-esque music alive, kicking and screaming into the 21st Century.

The audience lapped it up and loved it. Indeed, the years shed from the older members, dancing with their families, friends and younger teens, as well as the twenty and thirty-year-olds. This gig was one great big Marquee Club party. Sheer feel-good entertainment. My family and friends loved it. You will too. Go see and keep The Marquee Club All Star Band’s musical mission alive, by bringing the spirit of The Marquee Club back to life!

Review and Photos: Denise Lester