Double dose of The Blues Band for Lincolnshire

The group will be at the Baths Hall in Scunthorpe on February 2 and then at Lincoln Drill Hall on April 6.

The Blues Band started in 1979 after a phone call from Paul Jones, a man no stranger to chart success as the frontman for the legendary Manfred Mann since the 1960s.

His finger is even more on the pulse of modern blues these days as the presenter of a weekly blues show on BBC Radio 2 on Monday evenings.

The phone call in question was to fellow Manfred Tom McGuinness, who shared the same love of the music - he’d started out with Eric Clapton in the Roosters.

And they knew the right people to make their idea for a band ‘just to play the blues’ work.

They brought in legendary slide guitar man and singer Dave Kelly, who in turn brought along a talented fellow musician in bassist Gary Fletcher.

With the addition of Tom’s partner from McGuinness Flint, drummer Hughie Flint, formerly of John Mayall’s Blues Breakers.

That first line-up stormed the post-punk music scene, and contrary to their expectations, they soon left the pub scene behind for an international career playing the music they loved.

After two-and-a half years, Hughie Flint left amicably and was replaced by Rob Townsend, a member of one of Britain’s most eclectic, legendary outfits, Family.

In the 37 years that have followed, they have released more than 20 albums, played a stadium tour with Dire Straits and built up a worldwide following for their blend of originals and covers that has kept them at the top table of the blues scene ever since.

Tickets for their Baths Hall gig are available on 0844 8542776 or www.bathshall.co.uk

Tickets for their Drill Hall show are available on 01522 873894 or www.lincolndrillhall.com