ENTERTAINING the leisure-loving holidaymakers on board the QE2 with a six piece New Orleans band isn't a bad way to earn your living.

But bringing the whole lot back home to theatregoers in your native East Lancashire is the hallmark of somebody truly dedicated to entertainment.

However, "super, smashing nice" Jim Bowen has made a habit of doing just that.

The former Bullseye frontman regularly returns to the area with the Hot Rhythm Orchestra -- the group he performs with in the Golden Lion pub on board the exclusive cruise liner.

But their latest gig at the Darwen Library Theatre next Friday could be the group's last trip up to East Lancashire.

Jim explained: "We like to bring the band up to Lancashire because it's where I live and for the last few years we've tried to do a show in Blackburn.

"But the clock's catching up with them. They get off the ship in Southampton and, a couple of days later, they come up here.

"It's a 500 mile trip and it's starting to feel a bit too much for them, so this could just be the last concert they do.

"It depends on whether nature smiles on our joints."

Despite their vintage years, the Hot Rhythm Orchestra still ranks highly on Jim's list of favourite bands.

"It's probably the best band of its type in Europe," he said.

"We play the music of Glenn Miller, Count Basie and Duke Ellington. All old-fashioned stuff from the 1930s -- as are all the jokes!

"We're a genuine '60s band -- because we're all in our 60s -- so it will be a real foot-tapping trip down memory lane."

Jim comperes the night in the Library Theatre and also lends his trumpet playing to some of the band's numbers.

"I play in the band, but very badly, and I sing a few songs with them," he said.

"I also tell a few stories. There's a lot of laughs in there, because I used to be a comedian."

And the Darwen Library Theatre is, according to Jim, one of the venues most suited to the band's habit of bonding with its audiences.

"It's one of the best theatres in the North West," he said.

"Because it's just a 200 seater it will be like a personal concert for people.

"And we don't worry about what time we finish, so it's the best value in theatreland!"

Catch Jim and the Hot Rhythm Orchestra at the Darwen Library Theatre on Friday, August 6. For tickets, call 01254 706006.