NOT many entertainers can claim to have had a standing ovation before opening their mouths. But that happened to Joe Longthorne at the Victoria.

As he emerged from the wings, fans in the stalls stood up to applaud him and with his 10-piece band and backing vocals he showed the true power of his voice.

What a pity then that such a talented guy drifted into a series of mumbling rambles in between impressions, which amounted to only a fraction of the stars' voices he is capable of mimicking.

When he asked "who do you want me to do next?", someone in the circle called out "sing us another song".

Another man remarked that he ought to have sung more and left the comedy to compere Maurice "Grumbleweed".

But to his followers he can do no wrong. One told the compere she had seen him more than 500 times, he was showered with gifts and flowers during the closing American Trilogy (there was no encore) and a woman went into the throes of ecstasy on the way out because he had shaken her hand.

He was at his best on the oldies like Somewhere, For Once In My Life, September in the Rain, Let Me Try Again, Welcome To My World and Mary in the Morning.

Looking smart in an evening suit and with immaculate timing, the 52-year-old Blackpool-based performer was impressive when turning his attention to the likes of Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Dorothy Squires, the Rat Pack and John Lennon, accompanying himself on piano for Imagine.