Soul Britannia, Lighthouse, Poole

THE wedding reception-style ambience ("Where's the bride and groom?" asked a smiling Linda Lewis later in the evening) meant it took a little while for the atmosphere to warm up.

This was a shame for opening act, Carol Grimes, whose remarkable voice, displayed to superb effect on Chain of Fools, persuaded just a handful of brave souls to strut their stuff.

The Average White Band's Hamish Stuart enticed several more out of their comfy chairs with fine versions of Soul Searcher and Pick Up The Pieces, while the effervescent and unpardonably underrated Lewis maintained the momentum - she's only diddy, but, wow, what a huge presence.

And when seriously funky Cymande, a truly '70s secret pleasure, joined the fantastic Station House musicians on stage, why, the floor was well and truly thrumming with gyrating bodies of all ages and sizes.

Ex-FBI vocalist Root Jackson was a caring, cajoling MC for the last night of the All-Stars' tour.

As he said, tell your friends the next time they're in town, because this is one heck of a line-up, one which shows no signs of slowing down and deserves a much wider - and wigglier - audience.