Folkrock legends Fairport Convention will be celebrating their 45th anniversary when the band visits Cromer Pavilion Theatre on Sunday March 4.

Formed in 1967's 'summer of love', Fairport are one of the most enduring bands to emerge from the fertile 60s music scene. Hailed as the originators of British folk-rock music, the band is still as vibrant and inventive as ever.

The 2012 anniversary tour will feature songs from the band's recent studio album, the critically-acclaimed Festival Bell. However, with such a long history the band has a vast repertoire to draw on so this year the tour concerts will also include a selection of favourite songs and tunes specially chosen in a poll of the band's fans.

"Forty-five years is a milestone," says Simon Nicol who co-founded the band in 1967, "but we don't intend to rest on our laurels or hark back to the past – Fairport is a band that always looks to the future. All five of us are looking forward to getting back on the road – in fact, we're raring to go – because our first love is live performance."

"We've played in Cromer before but we always enjoy coming back here," Mr Nicol adds. "In fact, The Pavilion Theatre is one of our favourite venues and we particularly look forward to playing there again.

'This year, the concert will be rather different – not only have we got the new material from Festival Bell but this will be the first time we've invited our audiences to help us select the repertoire for a concert tour."

Fairport Convention has won a coveted BBC Lifetime Achievement Award and Radio 2 listeners voted Fairport's groundbreaking album Liege and Lief the most influential folkrock album of all time.

As well as Simon Nicol on guitar and lead vocals, Fairport Convention features Dave Pegg on bass and backing vocals, Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin, bouzouki and lead vocals, Ric Sanders on violin and Gerry Conway on drums and percussion.

Each concert on the 2012 tour will open with a supporting set by Kieran Goss, one of Ireland's best-loved singer-songwriters. Raised in County Down, Kieran has supported Elvis Costello, Christy Moore and Joe Jackson among others as well as filling concert halls in his own right. His songs Brand New Star and Just Around The Corner were recorded by Mary Black and he also has half-a-dozen albums and a top-ten chart single to his credit. For the tour appearances, Kieran will be accompanying himself on guitar.

? Fairport Convention's concert at Cromer Pavilion starts at 7.30pm on Sunday March 4. Tickets (�20) and booking information from 01263 512495 or online at www.cromer-pier.com.