Dancing on the ceiling and in the aisles

When your parents drag you to something against your will, you can be sure they will say: “Trust me. You’ll like it.” Yeah, right. Or at least that’s how I think the teenage boy sitting directly in front of me at Aberdeen’s Music Hall for Saturday night’s Magic of Motown felt.

Everything about his body language – slouched, rigid and unmoving – screamed: “My mum made me come.”

So I can tell you it was the ensemble’s ability to seamlessly belt out the likes of My Girl and Heat Wave, their ability to bust impressive moves as quickly as they donned glittery costume changes, and the fact that they had the sold-out crowd dancing feverishly in the aisles that made the show well worth the ticket price for him in the end.

The male singers’ a cappella version of The Drifters’ Under the Boardwalk was a complete showstopper.

The group, which was supported by a band featuring a keyboard, drums, guitar and bass, even earned a thundering roar of patrons demanding an encore.

However, this time, the best reflection of the night’s success was when the group partnered-up for It Takes Two.

I could have missed it, but I managed to catch a glimpse of the start.

First, it was a slight backand-forth shift of the shoulders, then a subtle head-bob and then finally a sway and clap.

Yes, the reluctant teenager – who spent the first hour of the show sitting in his chair like a statue – was successfully infected by Motown fever.

The group went on to tackle the legendary Jackson 5, raising the roof off the Granite City hotspot.

Putting aside a few microphone issues which made it difficult to hear either the backing or lead singer at times, the two-hour set was flawless.

Crowd favourites like Dancing on the Ceiling, Endless Love and Dancing in the Street sent rifts of energy rippling through the eager audience.

So, to the seven-piece vocal ensemble, I salute you.

Not only did you have the Music Hall audience singing at the top of their lungs, do an exceptional era of music proud and deliver an electric Saturday night performance, but you managed the impossible.

You convinced an initially reluctant teenage audience member that his mum was indeed right.