BOLTON turned back time last night for an evening of pure pop nostaglia.

A capacity crowd of 700 were shoehorned into the Chicago Rock Cafe in Bridge Street for a triple-bill which was cheesy and proud of it.

Many who turned out see Right Said Fred, Jason Donovan and Go West looked as if they could not remember the 80s. One or two looked as if they were in their 80s.

But age was immaterial as the bands turned back the clock.

By the time Go West took the stage at around 10pm you feared that if the crowd were any more pumped up they would have burst.

"The last time I saw Go West they were performing at the G-Mex," announced the compere.

Times have changed since then, but while Chicago Rock Cafe is smaller than the Manchester venue, it was definitely not quieter.

From the first chord of We Close Our Eyes, dozens were dancing -- several on each others' shoulders -- and the band seemed genuinely stunned by their reception.

"You seem to be in fine voice this evening," said frontman Peter Cox after belting out Call Me and King of Wishful Thinking. It was quite an understatement.

Jason Donovan knows his appearance has changed since the days when he duetted with Kylie Minogue and had one of the dodgiest hairstyles in soap as Scott Robinson in Neighbours.

"You may not recognise me," he said. "I'm slightly less hairy."

Recognition was not helped by the fact that he took to the stage sporting a coat and baseball cap. Somebody had obviously overdone the warnings about Bolton weather.

But after opening with Any Dream Will Do from his starring West End role in Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, he wisely shed the winterwear before tearing into Every Day and Too Many Broken Hearts.

To his credit our Jase cannot be accused of taking himself too seriously.

"Welcome to the Jason Donovan interactive experience," he laughed as he grasped outstretched hands. "Let's look as cheesy as we can. God you guys look embarrassing!"

He went down a storm, but it was consummate performers Right Said Fred who stole the show.

Singer Richard Fairbrass took to the stage, wearing a kilt, to tumultuous applause. The showman doled out kisses to appreciative audience members as they sang every word of Deeply Dippy and Don't Talk Just Kiss.

The crowd were slightly more muted -- if you call dancing on each others' shoulders and screaming muted -- for two lesser known numbers before the ecstatic reaction to I'm Too Sexy threatened to shake Chicago Rock cafe's foundations.

Jason Donovan reappeared on stage with a hand-held video camera as Richard threw his shirt into the crowd.

"You've all been brilliant," the Fred's main man told the crowd. "It's been a real pleasure."

You suspected he was far from alone...