BACK in 1958, the real Buddy Holly took the stage at the Regent.Half a century on, singer Marc Robinson brought his tribute act to the same theatre - singing and moving just like his idol, and delighting the audience with his friendly chat and warm personality.

Buddy Holly 50th Anniversary Tour,

Ipswich Regent last night

BACK in 1958, the real Buddy Holly took the stage at the Regent.

Half a century on, singer Marc Robinson brought his tribute act to the same theatre - singing and moving just like his idol, and delighting the audience with his friendly chat and warm personality.

The great songs just kept on coming - from Peggy Sue and Every Day to Rave On, Well Alright, Not Fade Away, Oh Boy and a rousing encore of That'll Be the Day.

Lesser-known tracks and hits from other rock'n'rollers were also included in the mix.

Although Marc was the star of the night, this was far from being a one-man show, as backing band The Rockets, plus singer Johnny Curtiss, lived up to their name with a great rocking performance.

The first half of the evening also saw Michael King performing as Billy Fury and Karen Noble doing double duty as both Connie Francis and Dusty Springfield.

All the singers had powerful voices and loads of energy.

This tour is only visiting the venues where Buddy and the Crickets performed back in 1958, and there's an emphasis on authenticity.

In one number, the drummer played on his thighs instead of the drums, and for two others he used a cardboard box - apparently in both cases reproducing sounds on the original iconic recordings.

Many of those in the theatre were of a certain age - and there might have been a few who remembered seeing Buddy back in '58. But age didn't stop the rock 'n' roll fans getting up and dancing or singing along with the famous lyrics.

I also spotted a few younger fans who had dressed up in true rock'n'roll style for the occasion, helping to give an impression that the clock had well and truly been turned back.

JUDY RIMMER