THE week starts with a bang tonight for local folk music fans, with an unenviable choice between Bram Taylor and Roly Hindmarch at Darlington Arts Centre, Karine Polwart at Durham’s Gala Theatre, John Harvison at Skelton’s Duke William and The Unthanks at Gateshead’s Sage.

That’s quite a list of gigs, and bears witness to the renaissance of live acoustic music that is happening at the moment. It doesn’t stop there either, with gigs tomorrow from Americana songster Slaid Cleaves at Gateshead’s Little Theatre, Cara Dillon at Gateshead’s Old Town hall, and Dick Miles at Robin Hood’s bay Folk Club.

Saturday brings The Hokum Hotshots to Washinghton’s Davy Lamp, Damien O’Kane to Newcastle’s Cluny, and the great Show Of hands to Durham’s Gala Theatre, where they’ll be promoting their new album, Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed. An added attraction is that they have local chanteuse Flossie Malliaville as support.

On Sunday, Westoe Club in South Shields have the band Hex as main attraction, while on Monday Dave Ruch will be at The Foresters in Coatham Mundeville and Bob Fox will be at Mitchell’s at Westlea, as part of the Seaham music festival. Tuesday has Anthony John Clark at Cramlington’s Hind, and Chris Milner will be promoting his new CD, Four Fields Meet, at Newcastle’s Bridge on Wednesday.

I have to say thanks to the good people at Ashington Leisure centre folk club up in Northumberland for making me so welcome last week.

They have a lovely venue up there, and will be welcoming the great Clive Gregson as special guest next month, so watch out for that.

I’m taking my Bad Pennies to Switzerland this week for a bunch of gigs in the land of cuckoo clocks and yodelling, and please note that I’m gradually changing my contact address for this column to jez@jezlowe.com, but will remain open for business on the old one for a few more weeks yet.