In this esteemed organ we don’t often review covers bands in pubs but seven-strong Kent 2‑Tone group The Skatonics were good enough to bid a sizeable sum of money in the Evening Standard’s latest charity auction.

They could have had an audience with Brian Sewell or lunch with Sebastian Coe but opted instead to have an opinion expressed about their live performance, in print, by me.

Their generosity does not impede honesty when I say that their sweaty, brisk set was far more enjoyable than I thought it would be when first surveying the unremarkable scene.

Ably racing through the finest examples of possibly the most joyous, danceable sound ever conceived — Monkey Man by The Maytals, Too Much Too Young by The Specials, The Skatalites’ Guns Of Navarone and so on — how could they fail?

A crowd far smaller than they are used to in their home county belied its disappointing size by dancing, almost without exception, as if the floor was on fire.

Burly singer “Slick” joined them on the Bad Manners track Lip Up Fatty and Baggy Trousers, one of a number of trips to the Madness back catalogue.

Despite having formed two years ago to play decades-old music, The Skatonics’ arrival in London is timely.

Madness are lapping up praise for their first album in 10 years and The Specials have reformed to delirious reviews.

After bidding hard they’ll be after a quote for their website, so here it is: a raucous, rollicking, heavy heavy monster of a gig.