TWO of the country's top cult music acts will perform at a North-East venue this winter.

Next month, Whitby-born Arthur Brown will perform at Hartlepool's The Studio, with his band The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.

Then, in December, punk idols The Damned arrive for a rare show in the region.

Brown and his band reached number one in 1968 with their only chart success, Fire.

The Damned had numerous hits, starting with Love Song in 1979 and running through to Eloise, a cover of the 1960s Barry Ryan song, in 1986.

Both acts performed at a Dracula festival in Whitby two years ago, where Brown made his entrance carried over the crowd in a burning coffin. He regularly sets fire to himself during performances of his hit.

The Studio will host The Crazy World of Arthur Brown on Wednesday, November 8, and The Damned on Thursday, December 14.

For details of the shows and other events at The Studio, in Tower Street, Hartlepool, telephone (01429) 424440