WHO said variety is dead? Certainly not Glen South, the man behind East Lancashire’s most popular monthly afternoon variety shows.

As well as hosting shows at both King George’s Hall, Blackburn, and Darwen Library Theatre, Glen is also responsible for booking all the acts.

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But for someone who has been involved in showbiz for most of his life, it’s all just part of a normal day’s work for Glen.

“It can be difficult getting a mixed programme as there aren’t as many variety acts out there as there used to be,” he said.

“It’s almost impossible to find a good ventriloquist for example and the ones that are around are too ‘blue’ for my kind of show.”

But through his contacts and personal friendships with artists built up over many years, Glen still manages to put on shows combining well known names and rising stars.

Recent shows have included the likes of Norman Prince, Jonny Casson, Jimmy Cricket and Phil Cool and later this year Syd Little will be making an appearance.

“You don’t get variety shows on TV like you used to,” said Glen. “The big money is now to be made on the cruise ships. I know quite a few artists who hate sailing but can’t turn down the offers they are getting to go on a cruise.

“We can’t compete financially but what we can do is offer some great audiences in great venues and the acts really appreciate that and always want to come back for a second appearance.”

Glen took over responsibility for the monthly variety shows just over a year ago from the legendary Don Banks.

“Don asked me to appear at a show in Darwen and the next thing I knew he was off to Australia and somehow he’d got me to take over from him,” said Glen.

Glen has spent a lifetime in the entertainment industry. As a musician in the early Sixties and then a band leader with the mighty Mecca organisation he played with some of the biggest names in the business including Tom Jones, Free, Fleetwood Mac and a young up-and-coming band from Liverpool called The Beatles.

“That was in 1962 before they became really famous,” he said. “I have to say I hated the name at the time, most bands then had a person’s name attached to them. But you could tell that they were special.”

In the Seventies, Glen was part of the band Vonny’s Magic which had some success on TV talent shows and even won a heat of Opportunity Knocks.

“I also had a couple of minor hits in Belgium and Germany,” said Glen.

To many people in East Lancashire Glen will be forever associated with the Goodnight Club in Nelson which brought a host of big names to the area.

“We opened the club in 1984 and ran it for around 11 years,” said Glen. “It was madness, we used to be up until three in the morning and then I’d have to be up at six to let the draymen in.

“I still people who bump into me in the street and say how much they enjoyed the club.”

But now it’s the afternoon variety shows which take up Glen’s time.

“We have a good core audience at both venues but of course you’d always like more.

“People coming along for the first time are surprised at how much they enjoy the show.

“The majority of the audience is of a certain age but we do get younger people coming too and they are really surprised as they have never seen a genuine live variety show before.”

The next variety show at Darwen Library Theatre is on Wednesday at 2pm and at King George’s Hall on Wednesday, February 25.