When Martin Luxford (Hugo Speer) leaves jail, he decides to form a swing band, having been taught to play the saxophone by his cellmate Jack. Returning to his native Liverpool, Martin pulls together a backing band of misfits and loners, and recruits his ex-girlfriend Joan (Lisa Stansfield) as a singer. Things are complicated somewhat by the fact that Joan is now married to the policeman who arrested Martin, and when the band’s first gig – at a heavy metal pub – goes badly, it seems as though the road to musical success may be a rocky one.

Ted Gregory is trying to be the first black producer to mount a show on Broadway, but he has trouble with his star singer.