The Jive Aces return to the Isle of Wight on 30 May for the Feelin' Happy Tour, a show built around their back catalogue and the infectious swing-and-rock'n'roll energy that has taken them to 30 countries and the stage at the Royal Albert Hall. At Shanklin Theatre, the venue size works in their favour: the proximity between stage and seats means the physical energy of the performance is impossible to sit entirely still through.
The Jive Aces have worked with Van Morrison and played for the Queen, which gives them a credibility that many high-energy touring acts lack. Their setlists span classic swing, boogie-woogie, and their own compositions, and the Feelin' Happy Tour is designed as a crowd-response show: the band reads the room and builds the set from there rather than following a rigid running order. The result is an evening that tends to feel genuinely different from performance to performance.
Tickets around £22; book through Shanklin Theatre. Good for adults and families with older children. More music events on the Isle of Wight through the late spring season.
