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.