Two of York’s musical sons, Cliff Brown and Ian Beestin, return to their home city this weekend as members of the Cliff Brown Band.

This blues-rock trio, completed by Nick Smith on bass, will be playing original compositions and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Thin Lizzy covers at the Victoria Vaults, Nunnery Lane, tonight and the Golden Lion, Church Street, tomorrow at 9pm.

Guitarist and singer Cliff and drummer Ian grew up in York and first played together in 1982 in the youth big band Stars And Stripes. A few years later they left York and went their separate ways, Cliff heading down south and Ian moving to Beeston, Nottingham.

More than 20 years later they joined forces once again at Cliff’s 40th birthday party and swore that, should circumstances change, they would form another band.

A couple of years down the line, Cliff moved to Northamptonshire, they recruited bassist Nick and the Cliff Brown Band was born.

The band made a prestigious debut, performing at last summer’s Glastonbury festival, and in September they will take to the main stage at the 2011 British Blues Awards.

Before then, Cliff can’t wait to play York: “It will be just like the old days but with more volume and less hair,” he says.