Just why it's so great to get back out there again - big band show in Eastbourne

Band leader Joe Pettitt will be joined by singer Matt Ford (BBC Proms, Friday Night is Music Night).

For Matt, it will be a wonderful celebration of the sheer joy of getting back out there and enjoying music together again: “I do think people have got out of the habit of going out. They have just been putting on their TVs for the past two and a half years and when you don't go out, you just lose that habit. The great thing is that just nothing beats the experience of actually seeing a big band and being there with them.

“There is still fear around and you could say that Covid is still prevalent. Certainly without the vaccines and all the precautions then we were in a very, very scary time, and I do think some of that fear has carried forward, particularly with our clientele who are of a certain age and so worry about being out.

“But I do think people will get bored of their TVs and bored of staying in. People are starting slowly to get back out; they are now finding out just how much fun and rewarding it can be. I don't know how long it will take but we're getting close to the point where people are leaving their homes again. I know that some sectors of society are already doing that, certainly the younger people, and the great thing is that our audiences are creeping up. But I would say that generally things are about 30 to 40 per cent down. But on the other hand we've just got back from a lovely Dublin trip and we had people there queuing for returns.”

So things are certainly still uncertain: “It makes it harder if promoters can't put things on and obviously fewer gigs means less money. That's the harsh reality.” But live streaming has helped, giving bands and singers important exposure, which then in an ideal world leads to people wanting to come and see them perform in person. And that's been the case with LP Swing Orchestra: “It is such a great band and people want to see the band perform. There's just nothing like a big band. And there is certainly nothing like performing with a big band. It is terrifying and enthralling in equal measure. You are there in between the big band and the audience and there is absolutely nowhere to hide. They take no prisoners and you completely have to be on your toes. But it is a fantastic experience for a performer.”

Matt comes to it all now with a different appreciation of things, given all that we have been through: “I do feel that I am changed as an artist. I have diversified which means that I have done a little bit more teaching which means that I have been able to pass on some of the skills of my 25 years being professional singer. And that has been great for me as well because it has made me focus on what I'm doing. It has made me think about whether I am practising what I am preaching, things like breathing, just thinking more about technique. I think that has made me a better performer.”