Willy Barrett is one of those annoying people who are so naturally musical they can play just about anything. And in Willy’s case, he probably has.

He’s been tagged the godfather of grunge folk but to me it’s more a case of psycho punk, a kind of Dick Dale without the West Coast. You’ll have seen him on the telly many moons ago with John Otway, playing that guitar that was just a lump of wood with strings on. Also a mean violin – remember Louisa on a Horse, or Luiseronanawse, with the driving, sawing backing? Oh yes, look out Princes Risborough, he’s back.

Willy is on tour this spring with his band Sleeping Dogz, consisting of the equally multi-talented Mary Holland and John Devine. Their cabaret show, visiting Whitby this month, promises uilleann pipes, cello, percussion and keyboards as well as guitar and other strings. And of course the musical styles will be wide ranging, from English folk to latin, jazz and the blues.

It will be a rowdy affair, if the band’s YouTube performance of The Emperor’s Head at Cambridge Folk Festival last year is anything to go by. An onstage wheelie bin even gets its big chance as a backing singer, and the crowd is just eating from Wild Willy’s hand. Willy insists he’s not wild any more, by the way – just livid. Whatever, check out Livid Willy and Sleeping Dogz in Up Close and Periscope at the Coliseum on 10 April.
Janis Bright

Tickets £8.00 from the Coliseum or The Port Hole 0845 3732760