SINGER-SONGWRITER Ben Ottewell, the incredible talent that drives veteran rock band Gomez, is to appear solo in Bournemouth later this month.

Ben will perform at Boscombe’s Shelley Theatre in a Bournemouth Folk Club gig on Saturday, February 29, from 8pm.

His unmistakable deep and gravelly voice has been likened to Tom Waits and his solo acoustic song arrangements have drawn comparisons with Nick Drake.

Ben, who with Gomez won the Mercury Music Prize in 1998 for the band’s debut album Bring It On, is not an artiste to be pigeonholed.

With three solo albums behind him and a track record of playing hugely entertaining and inspiring acoustic concerts, he is sure to put on a fantastic performance at the Shelley.

His latest album, A Man Apart, a supple blend of folk, Americana, and acoustic songcraft, received ecstatic reviews.

He says: “I'll be playing acoustic guitar for this fully seated show. You can expect to hear songs from my solo albums, some Gomez songs and maybe a cover or two.

“The Shelley is a beautiful, unreconstructed venue with a supreme sound and I’m really looking forward to getting back on the stage there.”

Bournemouth Folk Club organiser Paul Burke adds: “Ben’s voice really defies description, his guitar solos are legendary and he has been captivating audiences with his captivating and life-affirming performances for 20 years.

“He completely sold out his last visit to the Shelley in 2018 and we are delighted to have him back – it’ll be an unmissable show.”

Support comes from fast-rising duo Roswell – harmony-obsessed singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jasmine Watkiss and Zoë Wren who won Purbeck Valley Folk Festival's Purbeck Rising 2018 competition and haven’t looked back.

Tickets are £18 (students £15) and available from the theatre box office on 01202 413600 or online at www.shelleytheatre.co.uk