FORMER Lindisfarne frontman Ray Jackson is to revive the band’s famous Christmas show.

The singer, harmonica and mandolin player, who was a large part of the 1970s band’s sound, will take to the stage at the closure-threatened Newcastle City Hall on Monday, December 23.

He will perform much-loved songs such as Lady Eleanor, We Can Swing Together, Fog on the Tyne and Run for Home from the band’s heyday.

The concert, being promoted by the band’s former manager Barry McKay, is part of a drive to save the venue from being axed in Newcastle City Council spending cuts.

Jackson, who was part of the original and Mk2 Lindisfarne line-ups, left the music business 20 years ago and is now a painter based in Oxfordshire.

In recent years he has returned to performing with folk super-group The Gathering.

Last year he performed outside City Hall when a blue plaque was unveiled to honour Lindisfarne’s creative driving force Alan Hull, who died in 1995. Lindisfarne’s Christmas shows were a popular annual event for many years and were captured for some of the band’s live albums.

Jackson said: “A huge effort will go into this event and into ensuring that the audience enjoy the wonderful Newcastle City Hall Christmas Show party atmosphere.

“When I heard that the future of the City Hall was uncertain, I realised how much I wanted to do this just one more time for the original Lindisfarne fans and their children and perhaps even their grandchildren."

Tickets cost £20, £30 and £40 and are available from the box office on 0191-277 8030 from 9am tomorrow (Wednesday, February 6).