THEIR a cappella tunes have won them accolades, and the Magnets bring their unique sound to Southend next week when they come to the Palace Theatre.

Local fans shouldn’t get too confused to see the band’s name listed at the venue – Southend has its very own Magnets, but for clarification purposes, the group playing at the Palace next week decribe themselves as a ‘six man sound machine’ and are a little different from our own popular group.

The Australian visitors have built up a fearsome reputation, entertaining celebrities and heads of state at glitzy bashes.

Their fascinating vocal blends, harmonies and beatboxing have won them fans the world over.

With a gift for extraordinary arrangements, the group turn their talents to material as diverse as Blur’s Girls and Boys, Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz and Fatboy Slim’s Weapon of Choice, as well as putting their own stamp on tunes by Beyonce and Kraftwerk.

They’ve supported artists including Tom Jones, Lisa Stansfield and Michael Ball, as well as having played at Buckingham Palace and on popular radio and TV shows including Comic Relief, Parkinson, BBC Proms in the Park and on Scott Mills’s Radio 1 show.

The Magnets are at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff, on Wednesday, May 16 at 8pm. Tickets are £17. Call 01702 351135.