Soul II Soul

Soul II Soul play Portsmouth Guildhall on Sunday 18 October, with doors opening at 7:30pm. It's a single-act bill, so the whole night is theirs.

If you've only ever known them from the radio, it's worth knowing where they started. They came out of London's soundsystem culture in the mid-1980s, where they built their Funki Dred style around a setup of oversized speakers, pyrotechnics and strobes that turned house parties into something else. Virgin Records signed them in 1988 after the underground hit 'Fairplay', and they followed it with Club Classics Volume 1. From there they became household names with chart-toppers like 'Keep On Movin'' and 'Back To Life'.

What started as a DJ crew grew into a 25-piece band that sold over 10 million albums across more than 35 territories. Jazzie B often fronts the group alongside figures like Nellee Hooper and Caron Wheeler; he's recognised as a pioneer of the British soul scene and was awarded an OBE in 2008. His production work has appeared on more than 35 million albums across 100 territories, with collaborations including James Brown, Sinead O'Connor, Nas and Destiny's Child. The band also picked up two Grammy Awards, three Soul Train Awards and an NAACP honour.

Tickets are between £55.40 and £149, and the show is at Portsmouth Guildhall, PO1 2AB, on Sunday 18 October, with doors opening at 7:30pm.