The story, which is along the lines of a Greek myth, goes something like this: a few years back a restaurateur in the north of England noticed a gold medallion in a large block of frozen Atlantic prawns. Chipping away he found the frozen, but still living body of Brutus Gold - the renowned Puerto Rican Disc Jockey and disco gigolo who had been missing in action since the heady days of the disco-laden mid 1970s. Once defrosted, Brutus (stuck in a time-warp of fashion, music and aftershave) and his disco friends began travelling around Europe spreading the "boogie" message and urging the faithful to once again gather around their handbags on the dance-floor.
It doesn't really matter that Brutus's story, incredibly, shares similarities with that of Abba tribute band, Bjorn Again, or that his real name is Nigel and he's from Middlesborough. Brutus, who is afro of hair and flared of trouser, has no time for this new-fangled techno/deep house nonsense that's all the rage with the young people in the clubs these days. For him, the film Boogie Nights was a documentary.
Musical luddite that he is, Brutus and his 10 dance-floor chums (sample names: Bri Nylon, Pippa Dee and Tony Martini) have now brought their "Ultimate 70s experience" aka The Love Train, to Dublin for the summer, transforming the Olympia Theatre into Studio 54.
Here's the gig: a giant customised stage-set frames the theatre, Brutus controls the show from his throne/ DJ box where he plays classic 1970s tunes - everyone from Chic to Jackson 5 to Boney M - while his dancing troupe pumps it out on the main stage. The mammoth three-hour show also features 1970s superstars such as Starsky And Hutch and The Six Million Dollar Man and plenty of games, competitions and other such high jinks.
Don't sweat if you don't/can't look the part - and The Love Train does encourage you to maximise the vibes by turning up in period 1970s costume - inside the venue there's a Teen Scene shop which sells afro wigs, side burns, moustaches, glitter, funky patches and nail paints. All of this encourages a sort of Saturday Night Fever meets The Rocky Horror Show effect as patrons of The Love Train swan around looking like extras from Starsky And Hutch. It's all good, clean fun and if you don't like the music then there's probably something wrong with you.
The Love Train has only been going for a few years but already in its main hinterland of North of England clubs (particularly Manchester and Leeds) it attracts big crowds. Playing to 2,000 punters up to five nights a week, Brutus and his troupe keep everything on an even, retro keel and there is no acknowledgement, either musically or fashion wise, of anything after the end of the 1970s. It appeals first to the generation which remembers the music first time around and never thought it would become fashionable again; second, to the younger, irony-enriched generation which gets off on the kitsch/camp appeal of the decade that style and designer-wear forgot . . . thirdly, and most significantly, The Love Train is the perfect night out for people who feel oppressed by the cliquey fashions and intimidating surrounds of our more state-of-the-art clubs. Love Train is groovy and relaxed: no fashion or musical statements are being made, it's just a fun night out, pitched as it is somewhere between Gary Glitter and Lilly Savage.
Wearing a horrid, one-piece tartan skin outfit, Brutus Gold (he doesn't do interviews as Nigel from Middlesborough) talks cautiously in what I'm sure he believes to be a Puerto Rican New York accent. "I can tell ya The Love Train is pulling all the chicks away from those so-called trendy clubs," he says from behind a frightening pair of mirror shades. "It's because all this rave music is just disco music in disguise. I can't understand all that Speed Garage stuff, who needs it when you've got Chic and The Bee Gees on the turntable?"
But you're just playing records - anyone can do that. "Oh no, no, The Love Train is also a sensual experience for the boys and girls. The music is just a soundtrack for the Ultimate 70s Night Out. We have all the characters and all the right moves, no one can touch us," he says. Alluding to the other appeal of Love Train - its rock solid dependability - he says: "We just keep it straight and original, and don't let anything interfere with the 70s vibe. It's the same show every night, even the same jokes . . ."
Maybe the appeal of the show has something to do with today's music being a tad on the glum side? Radiohead, for example, are not exactly a dance-around-your-handbag type of band. "I don't listen to any of that modern stuff," says Brutus. "We're all about enjoying yourself and creating an atmosphere. We're a 90s- and 80s-free zone" he says. With such a strong fan base already, and having performed private show for Tina Turner and The Rolling Stones among others and having won a "Best Club Night of The Year" award in Britain, Brutus Gold and his Love Train have just been signed up by Virgin Records to see if they can recreate their unique boogie vibe on vinyl as well as on the dance-floor, and with their first single out at the moment, a cover of Boney M's Daddy Cool, Brutus is looking forward to teaming up with Pan's People on Top Of The Pops.
The retro night out is now the thing of the future. Already in Dublin, there are two live disco bands - Boogie Nights and Boogie Allstars - attracting cult audiences wherever they play their Saturday Night Fever-style funky tunes and with two of the biggest club nights in London - the 1970s-inspired Car Wash and Starsky And Hutch - due over here in a few months, we're going to be lost in a Boogie Wonderland.
Brutus Gold And The Love Train are at The Olympia Theatre next Saturday, July 18th, and every Saturday night until late August. Afros, flares, glitter and huge lapels a must.