TWO former members of the iconic Tyneside folk-rock group Lindisfarne are bringing their new tour to the district tomorrow night.

Ray Laidlaw, the band's original drummer, and Billy Mitchell, lead singer in the group's final line-up from 1995 to their break-up in 2003, will tell the Lindisfarne Story at King's Hall, Ilkley.

The two-man show provides an intimate glimpse into the stories behind the band's 40-year career, and new interpretations of classic hits such as Fog on the Tyne, Meet Me On The Corner, Lady Eleanor, and Run for Home.

Using anecdotes alongside archive photographs and video, the duo are set to give audiences an insider's view of the band's rise to fame and their worldwide tours, festival successes, and triumphant reunions, recounting memories from Whitley Bay to San Francisco Bay.

"There are lots of fans who are fascinated by the background to the songs and the ups and downs of Lindisfarne over it’s lengthy career," said Ray.

"Playing the songs acoustically is how we first heard them as Alan (Hull) or Rod (Clements) played them to the rest of us.

"It’s very direct and intimate, and conjures up the atmosphere of the time they were written."

"Judging by the audience reaction, they're loving the different versions of the songs," said Billy.

"The show gives us the flexibility to change the material on the hoof if the mood takes us and we can slip in other songs if the story heads in that direction.

"We have a starting point and know where we need to finish two hours later, but we cram a lot in in-between."

The duo said it was a "thrill" to be performing in Ilkley for the first time - promising not to make any 'Ba Tat' jokes - and said returning to the Bradford district brought back some special memories of previous gigs at St George's Hall, which was included as a venue on many of the band's legendary Christmas tours.

"St George's was always a fab gig," said Ray.

"We brought the Christmas show to Bradford because of the fantastic audience reaction. There were a few venues that were nearly as enthusiastic as Newcastle, but Bradford was one of the best.

"I also remember we had a great night in Bradford with Cerys Matthews and her band after a live Jools Holland Later programme one year, and there was many a splendid curry in the Kash.

"We used to travel the Skipton road on the way to Manchester when we first started touring, pre-M62.

"It's beautiful country, and I would love to bring the Lindisfarne Story to Bradford on the next leg of the tour in 2015."

An alternative full-band version of Lindisfarne, featuring former member Ray Jackson, is performing at St George's Hall in December, but Ray said he declined an offer to re-join the new line-up.

"I was invited to get involved, but retreading old ground doesn’t appeal to me unless it can be done in an imaginative and original way," he said.

"I’m chuffed that we’ve devised a format that can include great music and lots of stories, some happy ones and some very sad ones.

"Music that you get into in your teens stays with you forever, and many Lindisfarne fans were there with us at the very start, so a show like this is not just our story, in many ways it’s the soundtrack to their lives.

"We’ve had nothing but smiling faces as the audiences leave the theatres, so we must be hitting the spot."

Tickets for tomorrow's King's Hall show cost £20, and full details of the tour can be found at lindisfarnestory.co.uk.