First aid officers at the ready. The original pop idols are in town, ready to set countless hearts pounding and pulses soaring.

With an impressive selection of Seventies musical Casanovas which includes David Cassidy, David Essex, The Osmonds and Les Mckeown's Bay City Rollers, the Brighton Centre plays host to an evening of faintworthy entertainment thanks to Once In A Lifetime's all-star cast.

If cheesecloth shirts, Jackie magazine and Farrah Fawcett hair remind you of your halcyon days,the chances are you've come across these musical charmers before.

Both The Osmonds and David Cassidy found fame through television shows, while "rags-to-riches" David Essex has latterly earned himself an OBE.

Dubbed "Rollermania" by the press, the tartan-clad Bay City Rollers gave rise to frantic hysteria, reminiscent of the original Beatlemania.

Hits such as The Osmonds' Love Me For A Reason, David Cassidy's How Can I Be Sure? and The Bay City Rollers' Bye Bye Baby crystallise an era for many.

Jimmy Osmond, who will be joined on stage by brothers, Jay, Merrill and Wayne, is certainly excited about the show.

"The Osmonds haven't played a proper concert together in Britain for years," he says. "So it's fun to be involved in something like this and play really large arenas again."

So, is it a huge marketing extravaganza or pure old-fashioned family entertainment?

Successful businessman Jimmy says: "I don't need to be on stage any more. It's all about celebrating music. Once you've tasted the fun of being involved in a show and you're able to go and perform to people who know your history, hopefully you make them happy. Life's all about enjoying the ride."

Despite the fact most pop stars wouldn't even consider sharing the stage with their competition without having a J-Loesque strop, these wholesome crooners believe in team spirit.

"We grew up in a very weird way being on television," says Jimmy Osmond. "So we're used to sharing with guest stars on our shows or whatever. It's not going to be awkward for us."

In case of any confusion about who is who, Jimmy explains: "We'll be the guys wriggling around doing Crazy Horses." The lyrics of which appear suitably fitting: "Never stop and they never die, they just keep on puffin'. How they multiply".