THIS week The Lindisfarne Story, a nostalgic and entertaining look back at the region’s favourite good-time band, comes home as part of a huge nationwide tour, with two nights at Gateshead’s Sage, tomorrow and Saturday.

Ray Laidlaw and Billy Mitchell invite us to a warm and intimate evening of reminiscences and songs, with plenty of humour and participation thrown in along the way.

The show returns to the region on November 15th for a night at Durham’s Gala Theatre, in case you can’t make the Sage gigs.

Don’t forget there’ll be a full-blown Lindisfarne show at Newcastle City Hall around Christmas, with Ray Jackson leading a six-piece band through the band’s hits and more.

Looking ahead to November 15th again, I hear that Scotland’s favourite folk son, Archie Fisher will be at The Witham in Barnard Castle that night, and that would be the perfect place to indulge in the songs and masterful playing of a man who has influenced folk musicians such as Bert Jansch, John Martyn, Martin Carthy and more over the last fifty years.

Meanwhile, highlights of our week ahead include some Celtic country from upcoming singer and fiddler Kari MacLeod (also an occasional member of my Bad Pennies) at Byker’s Cumberland Arms tomorrow night.

On Saturday, Sedgefield Parish Hall has another all-star performance of the popular mining musical She’s Fired, while at Washington’s Davy Lamp that night, Chris and Steve Wilson will be the main attraction.

Finally, on Tuesday at Cramlington’s Clef and Cask, Bram Taylor will be making a welcome return.

I’m hearing good reports about Vin Garbutt’s new album “Synthetic Hues” which was released last week.

With Vin being off the road at the moment, the best place to buy a copy of this, his first release in nearly a decade, is through Vin’s website, vingarbutt.com.