IT'S not every day you get to see a 65-year-old man reeling out tunes such as Teenager in Love to a huddle of adoring fans.

But that is exactly what renowned musician Marty Wilde will be doing when he plays Worcester's Huntingdon Hall on Saturday, October 16 with his band the Wildcats.

The nice-man of rock and roll is renowned for the song, which provided him with his biggest hit - reaching number two in June 1959 and staying in the top 40 for a massive 17 weeks.

And years on, it still gets an airing because - as Marty said - the fans love it so much.

"It's all very tongue in cheek singing it at my time in life - it's a bit of a laugh.

"I always think I'll stop singing it but when I do the audience goes bananas so I have to keep doing it.

Marty scored his first hit more than 40 years ago - in July 1958, with a cover of Jody Reynolds' US hit Endless Sleep.

It came about following his big break, which came with the rise of the UK's first rock and roll TV show, Jack Good's Six-5 Special, where his strong voice made him a great asset.

He went on to shape the British rock and roll scene throughout the 50s and 60s with a string of hits including Donna, Bad Boy, Jasmine, Sea of Love, Rubber Ball and Jezebel.

The star has performed in Worcester more than five times in recent years and he is set to indulge audiences as he recalls fond stories from his musical career.

His show pays tribute to many of the number one tunes of his era - and also includes a medley hits of his great friend the legendary Billy Fury.

Marty's daughter Kim was a singer in her own right during the 1980s and also scored several top 40 hits - including her memorable 1981 debut Kids in America.

She has since re-invented herself as a gardening guru and writes a regular column for The Guardian - as well as having appeared on BBC's Garden Invaders and ITV's Better Gardens.

And Marty - whose favourite bands of the moment include Keane and The Dixie Chicks - said he would not rule out working with her in the future if the opportunity arose.

"She's a very good gardener - she's yet to do my garden though," he said.

The Huntingdon Hall show starts at 8pm and tickets are £16.50, available from the box office on 01905 611427.

BIRMINGHAM-based singer/songwriter Jo Rafferty makes her first appearance at the Octagon Bar, above St Ann's Well Cafe in Great Malvern tonight.

Described as 'a Joni Mitchell for the 21st century' Jo creates darkly passionate music, with lyrics empathetic to our own experiences.

The former folk and roots singer now delivers a quirky, occasionally surreal perception of life.

Audiences can expect a night of chill-out music with her swampy and raw sound.

The gig starts at 8pm and entry is £5.

IF COUNTRY music is your cup of tea, the chances are you should be heading to Worcester's Marrs Bar tomorrow night as The Arlenes play the venue.

The band have appeared in session with Johnnie Walker, Jonathan Ross and Bob Harris and music magazine Mojo has proclaimed their latest offering Americana album of the month.

Tickets for the concert are £5 in advance or £7 on the door.

GENRE-bending band The Kinetic Quartet will be peddling their own brand of serene and stately ballads and freak-beat poppy psyche when they play Worcester's Marrs Bar on Sunday.

The band are hard to pin down with their gorgeous harmonies and spacey humour and their homage to Tim and Jeff Buckley's Summer's Growing Old is breath-takingly beautiful.

Tickets are £5.

THE funk-rock-groove of British power combo Amor is set to come to Worcester as the band plays the city's Marrs Bar tonight.

The archetypal rock and roll trio - now augmented by an additional guitarist - are described by Total Guitar as 'emerging with a new-found pop sensibility owing as much to the commercial dance and groove of Prince and Beck as to the down-home rhythms of Texas and Chicago.'

Tickets are £5 or £7 on the door.

Don't miss band play in Marr's Barr gig

MUSIC fans are in for a treat on Thursday as up-and-coming psychedelic folk-pop band Gabrielle 25 play Worcester's Marr's Bar.

The band - who formed in north Wales after playing around the same gig scene - are touring to promote their promising debut album Twenty More Fish in the Sea - reviewed in last Friday's Evening News.

They consist of Dan Amore on vocals and guitars, Noel Jones on guitar, Mark Halford on bass and ex Gorkys Zygotic Mynci member John Lawrence on drums.

Their first release - the Town Spectacle EP - gained airplay on Radio One as well as rave reviews in the local media.

Now great things are expected for the band (below) - whose influences include The Beach Boys, Teenage Fanclub, Tim Buckley and The Beatles - and are tipped to follow the likes of fellow Welsh musicians Catatonia and Super Furry Animals to chart success.

The gig is part of the Marr's Bar's weekly Free Bands for Free Quid evening with The Cape of Good Hope - hailing from Bromsgrove, Kidderminster and Rubery - also playing.

Their influences include The Smiths, GlassJaw, Jarcrew, JR Ewing, Kids Near Water and Pretty Girls Make Graves.

Also playing are the band Everything For Some.

Tickets for the evening are £3.