WIRRAL band Elbow Jane will headline their first show at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton next month.

Supporting the acclaimed five-piece acoustic roots folk band on the September 10 show will be Andy Irvine, a founding member of 60s Irish folk rock band Sweeney's Men, who has been described as an icon for traditional musicians.

Elbow Jane's new album The Boldest Blood, will be released next month and will be available on the night.

Proceeds from CD sales and raffles will go to soldiers' charity Help For Heroes.

It will be third time the band will have played at the seaside venue. Previous appearances were as support for folk acts Kate Rusby and The Houghton Weavers.

Looking forward to returning for their own show, which is part of a tour, the band’s pianist and song-writer Kev Byrne told the Globe: "We're honoured to be joined by Andy on the night. It's going to be a blend of different types of music. A genuine Irish legend will be followed by a melodic acoustic song-writing band."

Greasby-based Kev, who is a PE teacher by day, explained: "Our last two Wirral CD launches have been at the Pacific Road Arts Centre but we've always wanted to play the Floral as our own gig.

"It's the biggest and best known venue in Wirral and we'd love to fill it!"

The band, whose members mostly live in Wirral, also features bass guitarist Chris Chesters, Liverpool-based percussionist Steve Finnegan, and multi-instrumentalists Joe Topping and Richard Woods.

The group recently signed to legendary folk label Fellside Records.

Their music has been described by the national press as 'utterly infectious' and confirmed the group as 'one of the top acoustic acts in the country'.

Kev Byrne continued: "Our music’s quite contemporary, not traditional folk music, because our influences stretch much wider than folk.

"We are as serious as we have to be about the music and would love to devote our full-time to it.

"Unfortunately, because the majority of us have got full-time day jobs, we don't get that much of a chance to tour.

"Rich and I have been writing songs since school and are serious as we have to be about the music.

"All 12 tracks on the new album have been written by us, which is another first."

"We are also very proud to be doing this for charity.

"Richie and I were in a band called The Hedgehogs about 15 years ago and raised more than £6,000 for McMillan Cancer Research.

"Help For Heroes is a very worthy and topical cause, which we are genuinely concerned about."

Tickets for the September 10 show, which starts at 7.30pm, are from the box office on 0151 666 0000 or www.floralpavilion.com