The Unusual Suspects, based in Balderton, have been asked to open for Geno Washington And The Ram Jam Band at the Palace Theatre, Mansfield, on June 5.

Singer and guitarist Robert Haynes, bass guitarist Ian Dobbs, saxophonist Darren Riley, drummer Craig Porter and keyboardist and pianist Frazer Hinchley were delighted to accept the invitation.

Robert, 54, of Wetsyke Lane, Balderton, said: “It is absolutely fantastic. We all love Geno’s material, especially Darren, and we cannot believe we will be working with one of our soul heroes.

“Although we opened for Newark Blues Festival last year and supported Oli Brown in Retford, this is our biggest coup to date.

“We have supported a lot of top bands but this is the icing on the cake. We have worked hard over the last 12 years so to get this gig is great news.”

The band are going back into the Superfly Studio at Ollerton to re-release their album, Saxual Healing, with two extra original songs — Midlife Crisis and The Edge — and two bonus tracks

The Unusual Suspects are at The Moorings, Newark, on Sunday night from 9pm to help celebrate St Patrick’s Day. In the afternoon from 3pm Robert can be heard playing a traditional Irish set at the pub as his alter-ego Bobby O’Neill.

He said he had been performing as a solo artist for a year and chose the name so people would not get him confused with Ben Haynes, a young up-and-coming local solo artist.

Robert said: “I have two acoustic sets to my name. One is covers by Paul Weller, Eric Clapton, The Jam, David Coverdale and many others. The other is an Irish set with music by The Fureys, The Pogues, The Dubliners and Christy Moore.

“I like playing this kind of music because I have an Irish background. My parents are from Ireland and I was brought up listening to this kind of music, and it has gone down very well wherever I play.”

Bobby O’Neill returns to The Moorings on Wednesday to play his other acoustic set.