Fizzing into Billingham

CHERYL Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston formerly of Bucks Fizz, with special guest Bobby McVay, are back on tour and will play Billingham Forum Theatre on Friday, September 18.

It's more than 30 years since they stormed charts across the globe with a string of hits, and Cheryl, Mike and Jay have been enjoying a list of venues stretching over 70 dates.

The band's original line-up was classic Eurovison, two boys, two girls – a formula established by ABBA, to whom Bucks Fizz were inevitably compared. Having performed together since 2009 when "girl next door" Cheryl Baker and "cheeky pin-up boy" Mike Nolan reunited with "The Raunchy One" Jay Aston, the trio have been joined for their Paradise Regained Tour by a fourth vocalist – coincidentally called Bobby. The fourth member of 1981's Eurovision winning line-up was Bobby G.

Cheryl says: "Having performed several gigs with our friend Stephen Fox, Mike, Jay and I realised that people expect to see four on stage when they see Fizz, so we are delighted to introduce Bobby McVay as our guest singer for the tour."

She explains that Bobby and Fizz go back a long way. He was one third of 1983's UK entry to Eurovision, Sweet Dreams. In fact he was invited to join them a few years ago, but he was unable to commit to joining them at that time.

Bandmate Jay says: "As a four-piece, the songs will be heard as they were intended to be heard, with four voices rather than three and the dance routines will have the full effect again."

Billingham Forum Theatre Box Office 01642-520240 or forumtheatrebillingham.co.uk/cheryl-mike-and-jay-formerly-of-bucks-fizz.html

Viv Hardwick