Kid Creole & The Coconuts at The Barbican

Tonight we went to see Kid Creole & The Coconuts at the concrete and pebble-dash bunker that is The Barbican as part of the La Linea Latin music festival.

If there's one thing you can guarantee from August Darnell, it's a good show and he delivered once again. A slick show, well choreographed and a solid band (I particularly liked the brass and percussion), just a shame the mix on the vocals was a bit low. But, Kid, I *liked* the suits! Purple, white and then yellow - they worked for me.

The Coconuts are a great feature of the show, and this was a show, not a gig, and there's nothing wrong with that. The Coconuts have legs up to *here*, are obviously poorly paid since they can't afford many clothes, do good hair flick and pose and do everything together, 1 2 3. One is from Bora Bora, one from London and one from Scandinavia - I didn't know that coconuts grew in London but I've seen one with my own eyes. They were great fun and I loved the interactions with the Kid, teasing him and dancing round him before heading back to their own part of the stage.

I also liked Bongo Eddie, who's been with the Kid for 30 years. I liked his bright green suit and baggy trousers, wandering round the stage, quipping with the Kid, bashing his bongos and drums and, halfway through the set, had his solo moment singing a raunchy blues song.

The focal point is, of course, Kid Creole himself, that wonderful creation of August Darnell who seems to permanently live in the hot sun of the Latin Caribbean, rum on tap, women wearing little clothing and the rhythms of the samba flowing in the breeze around him. For someone who's 60 later this year, he's in great voice and looking fit, dancing round the stage and teasing the Coconuts and the audience. I couldn't keep up with him and neither could Bongo Eddie.

Favourite songs this evening were the song he dedicated to the illegitimate children of the world, 'Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy', 'Don't Take Away My Coconuts', the great 'Stool Pigeon', 'I'm A Wonderful Thing, Baby', 'Endicott' and one of the several encore songs, 'Lifeboat Party'. We were treated to 12" extended mixes of all the songs which made me yearn for a 7" single edit now and then, but they kept people on their feet and, at one point, doing a conga round the stalls.

If you get the chance to see Kid Creole and The Coconuts jump at it with both feet and at least one hand - you won't regret it.