SPRING draws ever nearer and The NewGrass Cutters are heading to Evesham Arts Centre.

But it's nothing to do with keeping local verges neat and tidy along the way.

A spokesman said: "This four-piece band of well-known musicians will be playing their distinctive 'NewGrass' versions of classic hits on Saturday February 16.

"The NewGrass Cutters play highly original versions of some of the best-known rock and pop songs from the last 50 years - arrangements combined with four part vocal harmonies that are simply brilliant. The band - Pete Brown, Phil Capaldi, Richard Collins and Andy Crowdy - are all veterans of the UK music scene and have worked with many big names and tour with Joe Brown."

The spokesman added: "As the The NewGrass Cutters' their performance at Cropredy Festival was a sensation - 20,000 folk fans cheering as they danced to the band's unique banjo, lap steel, mandolin, bass and percussion versions of classics like 'Too Much Too Young', 'Good Vibrations', 'Born to be Wild', 'Voodoo Chile' and 'Listen to the Music'."

They have famous fans too.

Dave Peacock, one half of Chas 'n' Dave praised the band's "great singing, great playing, great repertoire".

He said; "This band's got the lot; it's kinda new grass yet something else and they really are something else".

Dave Pegg of Fairport Convention fame said: "I heard terrific playing and tasty arrangements with vocals and energy to match."

And not less a luminary that Andy Fairweather Low of Amen Corner said of The NewGrass Cutters: New... you bet! New life into great songs, with great playing and singing. what a great band."

Tickets : 01386 446944 and from www.EveshamArtsCentre.co.uk