THE Toledo Mudhens are back in the spotlight tonight (Saturday) taking their distinctive sound to The Derby at Barrow.

The band are all about making every gig into an event, each one different from the last, and they have built up a great following around the pubs and clubs of Furness. They play a diverse mix of classics and gems, fusing styles and creating clever mash-ups of tunes such as Elvis Costello's Pump It Up, Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues and Route 66 by Chuck Berry; and TRex's Get It On, Copperhead Road by Steve Earle and Neil Young's Ohio. The masters of mash-ups line-up is Neil Morrison on vocals and guitar; Roger Bibby, guitar, banjo and vocals; bass player, Keith Banks, with the Mudhen's first percussionist Richard Kemp back behind the drum kit.

Roger says that earlier in the year drummer Matty Pearson left the band for personal reasons. "It was a real blow as he’s such a great guy and a big part of our team. We decided to put things on hold to see if his situation changed. Once it became apparent he wasn’t returning to the band, we contacted our original drummer Richard Kemp, who had recently returned to the area. He was free and happy to jump back in. We have had a handful of practises with ‘Kempi’, looking at some new material to go alongside the old favourites. This gig at The Derby is our first in 2018 so we hope to make it a special night. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Matty for his time with the Mudhens, it’s been a hoot!"