BABY its cold outside but its going to be Nine below Zero in Furness next week.

Saturday, January 11, will see a welcome return visit for the British Rhythm and Blues band at the High Cross Inn, Broughton-In-Furness after their sell-out gig last

winter.

The group, who recently released a new album aptly named Chilled, are lead guitarist Dennis Greaves, bass and vocalist Gerry McAvoy, harmonica maestro Mark Feltham and Brendan O'Neil on drums.

And once the R 'n B combo get going things are guaranteed to be warm as mittens - expect fret board fireworks and smouldering slow burning blues.

The fledgling band was born back in 1977 when hair spikes were high and punk studs were everywhere.

The spirit of punk infused their music with a hell for leather' energy that made them acceptable to certain elements of the punk audience. And a type of new wave R 'n B sound began to mark them out as a band to watch. Nine Below Zero hit the London pub circuit forging their apprenticeship at the Thomas a Becket in the Old Kent Road, the Apples and Pears in Bermondsey and the Clock House in Clapham.

The band reached a milestone in July 1980, when they recorded their first album Live at the Marquee and three months later they headlined the Hammersmith Odeon.

Since then the band have toured the UK, USA and beyond playing with the likes of Eric Clapton, Sting and Ray Davies.

Their High Cross gig will be a rare chance to catch top-calibre musicians with a national reputation in a local venue.

Surely they are worth braving the elements for.

Tickets are now on sale at £10 each. For further details about live music listings at the High Cross, log onto www.highcrossinn.co.uk.

For more band information see www.ninebelowzero.com.

January 2, 2003 15:30