FOLLOWING a successful winter tour, the Paignton-based Kylie Minogue impersonator Cheryl Hadley is returning home to the Palace Theatre with her spectacular tribute show on Friday, March 12.

Entitled The Showgirl, the production is a near two-hour, fully choreographed concert, filled with hits from the Australian pop princess spanning two decades, and including accurate representations of many of the iconic costumes which propelled Kylie to super stardom.

Cheryl, otherwise known as Rogue Minogue, is joined on stage by her live band, plus backing singers and dancers, all of whom are South Devon based. The result is a truly local production providing an energetic and flamboyant show for all ages.

Having kicked-off the winter tour at the Palace Theatre last September, Cheryl who co-produces The Showgirl with musical director Adam Waller and her manager Paul Cooke, is looking forward to the end-of-tour show.

Cheryl said: "It's so exciting to be returning to our home town to perform again following the tremendous night we had at the Palace Theatre last year. Looking back I can confidently say the Palace gave us one of the liveliest audiences on the whole tour, and we're hoping for more of the same this time around. A short preview of the show can be seen on-line at www.theshowgirl.co.uk"

Advance tickets for The Showgirl at the Palace Theatre on March 12 are on sale at £11 and £9 each and they're available from the theatre box office on 01803 665800. There is also a party ticket special purchase concession. Anyone buying 10 tickets gets the tenth free.

RICH MILLS, the spokesman for South Devon's ska revival outfit The Simmertones, contacted me last week with news of a forthcoming engagement by the band in Plymouth.

Rich said: "The Simmertones are making a debut appearance at Plymouth's White Rabbit venue on Friday, March 5. It's the first city gig since last year's Plymouth Respect Festival and also the first since the band released their current CD entitled Presenting The Simmertones Volume 1.

"Support for the White Rabbit gig comes from Gecko who will be promoting their latest CD entitled Stop, Look, Lizard! It's a real eclectic mix of acoustic music, reggae, indie, rock and ska which is hard to pin down but very catchy and picking up a lot of interest, including Radio One."

Talking of which, hot on the heels of Rich's call, came news of BBC Radio One exposure for a track from Presenting The Simmertones Volume 1.

During his late night punk show on February 16, Mike Davies featured the band's infectious arrangement of the Dr Who theme.

As for the rest of the seven-track Simmertones collection, it's an evocative and often lively mix of traditional and self-penned numbers, including the superb One Time Soon — a clever blend of cover and original which includes the horn riffs from The Skatalites classic recording of African Beat.

That track especially transports me back to my own guitar playing days in London during the 1960s. As guitarist with the Atlantic soul and covers band The League, I had the pleasure of working alongside The Skatalites at the cavernous Witch Doctor Club in Catford in 1968. Fond memories indeed.

ONE of Torbay's major live music haunts — Mojo's on the seafront in Torquay — has been closed for the winter, but next Wednesday evening, the venue plays host to a Grand Reopening Night.

Headlining the event is the ever-popular local outfit Duke Johnson and the Scorchers, and they will be supported by Mojo's resident DJ Dec B who I'm reliably informed will be going back to his roots.

The music starts at 8pm and the venue proprietors are inviting all those attending to dress to impress.

JUDGING by the media quotes I've been reading, guitarist and gravel-voiced vocalist Marcus Bonfanti is the darling of the blues media at the moment.

Indeed, all the major Blues magazines and radio show hosts are waxing lyrical about his latest album What Good Am I to You? Check it out on-line at www.marcusbonfanti-com

Better still, catch him live at Mama Stone's, Mary Arches Street in Exeter tonight. Admission is £2 per person and all telephone inquiries are being handled on 01392 848485.

SOUTH Devon ska revival outfit Too Hot descends on the Golden Lion in Newton Abbot tomorrow night. Support comes from The Dizzwits, a Newton Abbot band making its debut public appearance.