Last Night's Fun are next Friday's (23rd) entertainment in the last concert of the spring season promoted by the Black Swan Folk Club at the National Centre for Early Music, York.

The powerhouse trio of Chris Sherburn, Denny Bartley and Nick Scott perform mostly traditional Irish music with a fire and passion leavened by their banter between songs.

Club promoter Roland Walls says: "Last Night's Fun have built up a formidable reputation as musical entertainers in the five years or so since they joined forces. Above all, they're a great live band - though they have issued a brace of superb albums - and they've become a popular headline act across Britain and Europe."

Concertina player and surreal storyteller Sherburn was brought up in Goole, East Yorkshire; guitarist and singer Bartley is the native Irishman of the band, raised in rural western Ireland; Scott, an uilleann bagpipes player from Devon, first met Sherburn and Bartley in 1997 when they were working as a duo.

"Although only a trio, and deliberately foregoing bass, drums and electronic gimmickry, Last Night's Fun in full flow produce a thrilling wall of sound," says Roland.

Leeds singer and guitarist Kevin Loughran will be performing at this concert too, playing British and Irish folk songs old and new.

Tickets for next Friday's 7.30pm show at the NCEM, in Walmgate, cost £8, concessions £6, on 01904 658338 or at the door.

Tonight, meanwhile, the Black Swan Folk Club welcomes Blazin' Fiddles to the NCEM as part of this month's York Live Music Festival.

Nominated for the Best Live Act of the Year in the 4th BBC Radio Folk Awards, this fiery young fiddle ensemble specialises in Celtic Scottish music, as played by Allan Henderson, Catriona MacDonald, Andy Thorburn, Marc Clement, Bruce MacGregor and Iain MacFarlan. Each fiddler takes a solo spot to highlight differing regional styles of playing. Tickets: £12, concessions £10, students £3.50.

Updated: 09:46 Friday, May 16, 2003