BELLOWHEAD - not so much a band but an irresistible force of nature!

The multi-award winning folk collective powered into Blackburn for the first time and left a delighted audience literally dancing in the aisles clamouring for more.

For those who misguidedly think that traditional music is dull, you ain’t never seen this lot in action.

The 11-piece ensemble, all consumate musicians in their own right, come together to produce what can be described as a beautiful noise.

Yes, they’re all from a folk background but the 90 minuite set had elements of ska, soul, jazz and even a little disco thrown in for good measure.

The variety of instruments being played was a show in itself with bagpipes, cello, fiddles and mandolins being supplemented by strange looking xylophones, bassoons and even a frying pan!

With a stage set which turned King George’s Hall into the deck of a pirate galleon, we sailed the seven seas with shanties, hit land and fell into the arms of wayward maidens and had a vouple of ghost stories thrown in.

The seating layout may initially have stopped the audience from getting up and partying along with the band but it didn’t take too much encouragement for a morris pit to develop at the front - it’s like a mosh pit but far better mannered!

Bellowhead have a renowned reputation for their live shows - now East Lancashire knows why.