Luther Live & Velvet Voices

Luther Live & Velvet Voices comes to the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre on Friday 22 January 2027, starting at 7:30pm. It's a tribute night built around the smooth R&B of the 80s and 90s, with the title pointing to the main focus: the music of Luther Vandross.

That's where the set spends most of its time, but it doesn't stop there. The show brings in the sounds of Alexander O'Neal and a few others from that same era, alongside tributes to R&B royalty like Marvin Gaye, Bobby Brown and George Benson. It's a wide reach across the genre, so you'll hear the slower, velvet side of things as well as the more upbeat tracks that defined the period. The whole thing is backed by a live band, which keeps the sound full rather than relying on a backing track.

Fronting the night is Gamal John on vocals, described as a Britain's Got Talent gold buzzer rule breaker. He's the one carrying the set, taking on the songs of Vandross, Gaye, Brown and the rest of the bill. The show is billed as a live theatre experience celebrating the golden era of R&B, and it's just that — a night of those classic hits from the 80s and 90s, played live on stage.

Tickets are £32.50, and the show starts at 7:30pm on Friday 22 January at the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre.