Famous jazz-pop band to perform in Wigan

Your appointment with the doctor has now been made, as The Blow Monkeys are set to play live at The Old Courts on Friday July 22.

The band - lead singer Dr Robert, Mick Anker on bass guitar, Neville Henry on saxophone, and Tony Kiley on drums - first got together in 1981 and featured on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack with You Don't Own Me.

Dr Robert said: “We played in Ireland yesterday at the festival, which was great, the Irish are always up for it and it was a big crowd.

“I enjoy touring and travelling but I don’t take it for granted.

"We’ve got a family vibe going on and things have changed over the years but I’m aware that it’s not forever so I really just enjoy every moment of it.

“We’re coming to Wigan on Friday. I don’t think we’ve been before but I’ve heard good things about it, the venue looks really good and I’m looking forward to it.

"I love it all, it’s all about the crowds and the people and the further north we go, the better it gets.

"We’ve been making records for over 40 years so we’ve got a large menu to choose from and we’ll do a mixture of old stuff and stuff from our new album too.

When asked about how the band came to be called The Blow Monkeys, Dr Robert said: "It was from our initial drummer, the first one from when we were kids.

"I think he was tripping and he came to his senses the next morning and said ‘I think we should call ourselves The blow Monkeys’ and I said ‘Oh, that’ll do’.

About where to next for the band, Dr Robert added: “We’re lucky we’ve been able to keep going and have a solid fan base and I haven’t had to get a proper job yet, that was aways the aim from being a kid. “We’ll just keep going, it keeps us young and as long as people want to hear it then we will keep making records.

“People need music to bring them together and so it’s good to be part of something positive.”

Doors open at 7.30pm and tickets can be purchased via The Old Courts website or by calling the box office on: 0343 2086015.