NELSONICA 03, A Celebration of The Music of Bill Nelson, will be held at the Duke of Cumberland, North Ferriby, near Hull, on September 19 and 20.

Why the Duke of Cumberland? The pub is becoming the spiritual home to fans of the Yorkshire musician, who played there with Be Bop Deluxe in the early 1970s and mentioned the Duke on the title track of the first Be Bop Deluxe album, Axe Victim.

This will be the third such Nelsonica gathering. The first was a low-key event in York in 2001, but last year's was on a much grander scale, a 12-hour celebration with live performances at the Duke. This year's Nelson festival will be bigger again, spreading to two days, and performers will include Bill Nelson playing solo and with the Lost Satellites, plus Honeytone Cody, featuring Bill's daughter Elle Nelson on vocals and son Elliot on guitars.

Many more features are being arranged both in the Duke of Cumberland and in the grounds to the rear.

Updated: 09:48 Friday, September 12, 2003