The Real Thing

The Real Thing are playing the Jim Marshall Auditorium at The Stables in Milton Keynes on Saturday 14 November, with original vocalists Chris Amoo and Dave Smith fronting the band. They're touring A Brand New Day, their first album of original material in 44 years, which reached No. 3 in the Amazon best sellers.

The tour leans on the new record, but it doesn't leave the songbook behind. They've just released a soulful new single, 'Hang On Never Let Go', and the flip side carries a live version of 'Children Of The Ghetto' — a classic that's been covered by Courtney Pine, Paul Hardcastle, Mart J Bligh and Philip Bailey, and the first recording to feature lead vocals by Chris Amoo. Between the new songs and the older ones, the set draws from both ends of their catalogue.

It's a particular kind of night: the original voices still at the front, the new album giving them something fresh to work with, and the older songs that people recognise. The new record is the main reason they're on the road, but the set keeps a foot in the songs they're known for. If you've followed them since the early days, you'll hear the new material alongside the tracks that first put them on the map.

The show starts at 8:00pm, and tickets are £43 including the booking fee. It's at The Stables, in the Jim Marshall Auditorium.