Jake & Elwood in The Best Blues Brothers Show In The World … Ever!!! at The Futurist, Scarborough on Saturday. Review by Ian Duncan.

I first saw the film, The Blues Brothers, in the cinema in the early 1980s and I loved it. Brilliant music, great and witty, not to mention quotable, script and a all star cast. My only regret was that I never got to see the band live.

I did miss out on the chance to see Steve “The Colonel” Cropper in Scarborough because the gig coincided with our trip to China.

Having said that I was impressed with the show put on by the Jake and Elwood tribute band and really felt I saw the real deal. It was good chatting to them both in the bar in the interval.

FROM the moment I first saw the Blues Brothers at the cinema in the early 1980s I was won over by the combination of a cracking blues and soul soundtrack, stellar cast list and motorhead mayhem.

My only regret was I never saw the band live – they did tour the show in advance of the film as the concept evolved – but with the unfortunate death of John Belushi it did not seem possible.

At least I can say I have seen Jake and Elwood Blues – a duo so dedicated to keeping the spirit alive that they even changed their names by deed poll – ably backed by the Black Rhino Band.

It was good to see the audience was packed with hardcore fans complete with black suits, white shirts, narrow ties, shades and porkpie hats.

The band rattled through a selection of Blues Brothers favourites including Hey Bartender, Soul Man, Rawhide – complete with Jake trying to flick a cigarette from Elwood’s mouth with a bullwhip – Stand By Your Man and She Caught The Katy.

Elwood even had a dig at Simon Cowell before launching into a version of Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay – a stark reminder that the band’s music would not even be considered by record company moguls in these days of populist, instant fame, all determined by a TV vote.

For an encore the band performed the Otis Redding track Can’t Turn You Loose with Elwood leading a blues train through the audience and onto the stage.

Finishing off with Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, Jake invites a trio of young wannabes on to the stage as impromptu backing singers and everyone was dancing in the aisles.

Both Jake and Elwood have got the mannerisms and accents of their cinematic counterparts down to a tee and I for one am looking forward to their return.

From the Scarborough Evening News on Monday, April 13, 2009.