Singer and musician Damien Barber returns to his north Norfolk roots next week for a special musical tribute weekend.

Damien will be performing acoustically at the Atrium in his former home town of North Walsham, on the main concert day of the Walter Pardon Centenary Folk Festival.

Walter (1914-96) of Knapton was discovered at the age of 59 to be one of England's finest traditional singers with a rich repertoire of songs – many not collected before.

In the late 1970s and early 80s Walter was a regular performer at the Orchard Gardens folk club in North Walsham and it was there that schoolboy Damien saw him and came to love his singing.

As well as Walter, Damien cites his dad Mike Barber, the late Peter Bellamy and singer-melodeon player Tony Hall (cartoonist for our sister paper the EDP) as his main Norfolk influences.

As a five-year-old child Damien used to refrequent local folk clubs featuring such artists.

When he formed his own folk band in the 1990s they used the affectionate nickname Mr Bellamy used for Damien and became the Demon Barbers - who went on to become a leading live act.

Damien's solo, acoustic, performance at the Atrium on Saturday March 1 will be in stark contrast to his most recent appearance in Norwich at the Open venue.

On February 19, the Demon Barbers were providing the music for The Lock-In – a dynamic stage show in which morris dancing faces a cultural clash with hip-hop.