Hauled back by food

SIDEROPOULOS: HIATUS ENDED BY REUNION DURING NINE-COURSE MEAL

- Hein Kaiser

It was food that brought Harry Sideropoulos back to the stage after almost a half-decade hiatus following his mother's death.

But food has been his love language, and a long table, a nine-course meal and a reunion set off a chain reaction that led him back to his love for performing.

Sideropoulos is larger than life, in person and on stage.

His Big Band Blast shows are, well, a blast.

Sideropoulos' time on radio with Jeremy Mansfield on 94.7FM's Rude Awakening added much of the high octane to on-air content.

His return to the stage is cemented in the reprise of Swinging Las Vegas that opens this month at Montecasino.

It's a big band swing fest where he performs alongside the incredibly talented Craig Urbani, Nadine and Timothy Moloi and backed by the 18-piece Johannesburg Big Band.

Incidentally, the band is led by longtime friend and collaborator Adam Howard, who was also the catalyst to Sideropoulos' respawn.

"I met Adam 25 years ago when we launched my very first big band swing show," Sideropoulos said.

"He wasn't a maestro back then like he is now. He was just Howie with a trumpet and a wicked sense of humour. We became great friends."