The last time I saw Jools Holland was as a student in a park in Preston in the mid-1990s.

I couldn’t wait to see him again, and the minute he stepped on stage in Brighton I knew he wouldn’t disappoint. In the past 15 years the former Squeeze star has become a national treasure, even claiming an OBE for his services to British music...

“Tonight we have three trumpets, four trombones and five saxophones in the orchestra,” he announced as he strode on stage. At one point there were 19 musicians on stage, all performing seamlessly. We got to marvel at old-skool ska trombonist Rico Rodriguez’s reggae version of I’ve Got You Under My Skin, which got people running from their seats to dance in front of the stage, as well as vintage rock ’n’ roller Dave Edmunds belting out I Knew The Bride and I Hear You Knocking.

For the two encores – one just wouldn’t have been sufficient – all instruments fell silent for Ruby Turner’s Silent Night (the band sang beautiful backing vocals), then picked up again for Jools’ version of Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think).

It was all I’d expected and more – wildly eclectic, furiously upbeat and, even better, I didn’t have to go to Preston to see it.