PAUL Garthwaite, the bass player in the house band for the York Theatre Royal pantomime, will not be taking a rest this weekend.

Rather than enjoying a day off from Sleeping Beauty on Sunday, he will swap the pit for the shop floor at Borders in Davygate.

Between midday and 3pm in a free show, he will perform songs from his CD, Even The Judge Was Crying, alongside cover versions as varied as Gershwin, Kylie and Motorhead.

He recorded the CD at Twelve Tree Studios in York, utilising a unique ten-string guitar and the world's only 14-string "basstar", the "mad guitar" created by Paul himself.

Paul is in his 11th year as a musician in the Theatre Royal pantomime, and he will be playing in the Sleeping Beauty band with musical director Rob Thorne Jnr, Nigel Harvey and Antony Stevens until January 29.

Even The Judge Was Crying is available at £4.99 from Borders, Ark Records in Gillygate and the Classical and Jazz Shop in Micklegate.

For more details on Paul's musical pursuits, consult his website, www.paulgarthwaite.co.uk

Updated: 15:58 Thursday, January 06, 2005