FOLK rock stalwarts Fairport Convention will play Whitby Pavilion on February 9 on their winter tour after marking 50 years of performances with last year's 50:50@50 album of new original songs and live recordings of fan favourites.

Looking forward to playing songs old and new, founding member Simon Nicol says: "Fairport Convention have been extraordinarily fortunate to create a work ethic based on live performance. As someone whose hobby ultimately became a career, I'm happy every time the van pulls up outside my house to take me off on my travels, where the stage awaits, and I get a chance to make everyone happy that they made the choice to buy a ticket."

The group revolutionised British folk music with their electric sound and traditional tunes in the summer of love of 1967 and have since survived numerous line-up changes. Their groundbreaking 1969 album Liege & Lief was voted The Most Influential Folk Album of All Time by BBC Radio 2 listeners and a coveted BBC Lifetime Achievement Award has come their way too.

Fairport Convention’s present line-up is the longest running in the band's history, with Nicol on guitar and vocals; Dave Pegg on bass guitar; Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin and vocals; Ric Sanders on violin and Gerry Conway on drums and percussion.

Tickets for their 7.30pm concert are on sale at £24 on 01947 458899 and at whitbypavilion.co.uk. Doors open at 7pm.