Ok have I been sleeping during the last two fringes? It was only after going to see ‘Blues Brothers Banned – Quest for the Cowbell’  I discovered this is their third Fringe. Celebrating their sixth year together this summer with an average age of 21, it’s just scary how talented this bunch is. This Hertfordshire band started life on a Chorleywood school trip and the rest is just like a film or musical script. They bill themselves as the tribute act with a twist, the twist being they play and adapt modern music as well as that traditionally associated with the Blues Brothers ending up with "Everybody needs Somebody". They say that as the original band played covers in order to pay homage and re-invent the classics the Banned are continuing where they left off, utilising more modern styles and today’s music. What ever the ethos may be the Blues Brothers Banned are an amazingly talented bunch of youngsters they are musically superb and most of them play one or more instruments. Although Owen Visser as Elwood and Tom Clarkson as Jake are nominally in charge of proceedings, the two girls Nia Visser and Leane Flinn get to perform solos. On Bass Guitar and vocals Steve Leask stole the show for me personally. The other band members are Joel Braham, Alex Coppard, Richie McCabe, Albert Stebbings, Peter Byrne and the drummer for the Fringe is Dave Hackett. Never mind age, gender or musical preferences The Blues Brothers Banned show is the place to get the party started, beware huge helpings of brilliant music, comedy and the need to dance may cause a loss of cool and hair to be let down. *****