WHAT are the chances? I say, what are the chances of American music legend Billy Joel turning up in Barrow-in-Furness, with a bunch of mates and performing for a couple of hours on stage at The Forum?

Hmmm, let me think. That’s right, zero, nil, none, zip, zilch. Dress it up anyway you like, it’s not going to happen.

So what do The Forum do? They go out and book an act called The Billy Joel Songbook fronted by a middle-aged man from Hampshire called Elio Pace.

Half English, half Italian, Pace has a small group of five musicians and they spend their time touring the country as just another run of the mill tribute act.

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong. This act was something else. They were sensational.

Clearly all mates as well as professionals, they put together a show of energy, a show of musical talent so good it didn’t matter that it wasn’t Billy Joel, it was a performance worthy of his name.

Elio Pace is unbelievable - a great vocal range and piano-playing skills far beyond what I expected.

How many Joel songs do you know? You’d be surprised.

The hits went on and on; from first minute to last, the treatment Pace and his men offered to the songs was first class.

We got rock and pop, we got jazz and acapella. From Tell Her About It to My Life, it’s still rock and roll to me.

The saxophonist Frank played a major role in many of the songs but that should not dim the contributions made by all the band. They were amazing.

Frank joins Tom Jones on tour this summer, so will most likely be turning up at Cartmel Races with him. Neil the guitarist goes off to join the Queen tour later this year.

She’s Always a Woman, Honesty, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, the list rolled on.

An impressive first-half left you desperate for more after the interval.

The Billy Joel Songbook didn’t disappoint and the endless list of classics just kept coming. A staggeringly brilliant second-half passed in the blink of an eye and finished with the biggest hit, Uptown Girl, before an encore featuring Piano Man.

At this moment, if I wore a hat, I would take it off to these guys. This was most definitely a tribute but certainly not just a tribute act.

This was an act of aplomb, a polished performance by a band who made you feel like you were also their friends.

Elio Pace is certainly a class Piano Man and promised to return to Barrow. If he does, you should make it your business to be there.

Elio, we love you just the way you are.

Review by TREVOR JONES