BRITISH rock icons Wishbone Ash make their Cumbrian return next month.

The legendary band, cited by the likes of Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden as influences, will be back at Bootleggers, in Kendal, on Thursday November 9.

The South Coast-based outfit have visited the Finkle Street venue on a number of occasions in recent years, and will once again be drawing from their extensive back catalogue.

Wishbone Ash were responsible for nine top 40 albums, having launched in 1969, and have appeared at many of the major music festivals in the UK and Europe, continuing to pack out venues across the continent.

They cut their teeth on the US stadium circuit first opening for The Who. Once they began headlining in the States, their own opening acts included Bruce Springsteen, Kiss and Aerosmith.

Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Lynyrd Skynyrd and, more recently, heavyweights like Opeth, as well as some of the guitar-based indie bands, have all taken a little something from the legendary twin-guitar approach of Wishbone Ash.

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Founding member and songwriter Andy Powell is still with the band, providing vocals and guitar, while bassist Bob Skeat and drummer Joe Crabtree have been with the band for a number of years. The line-up is completed by recent addition Mark Abrahams on guitar.

Their early records were their biggest commercial successes, including their self-titled debut in 1970, Pilgrimage, There’s the Rub, and Argus, which reached number three in the UK charts.

Wishbone Ash were considered to be one of the major innovators of the harmony twin lead guitar format, and their contributions helped Andy Powell and Ted Turner to be voted two of the Ten Most Important Guitarists in Rock History by Traffic magazine in 1989, and to appear in Rolling Stone’s Top 20 Guitarists of All Time list.

Expect to hear a mix of new and old when they appear live at Bootleggers.

Doors open at 7.30pm, and tickets are available in advance from the venue's booking office.