CREDITED as the UK’s very first rock and roll guitarist, music legend Joe Brown is ready to party.

Recovering from a bad chest cold, he promises he’ll be ready for when his spring tour rolls into the Regent next Wednesday.

“I hope the audience enjoy the show, we’re going to, so get set for a good time,” says Brown, whose career has spanned more than five decades of music, from his early roots in skiffle to his current set.

There’ll be fans favourites and some surprises at the gig.

“We do most of the old hits, but change it around quite a lot on every tour. We’re always on the lookout for something different to do. We don’t go out with our guitars and thrash out two hours of rock and roll.”

Expect mandolins, banjoes, violins, ukuleles and more to feature during the gig; one of 40 dates.

Brown, who was awarded an MBE and MOJO magazine’s coveted Outstanding Contribution To Music in 2009, is one of those rare artists who is as contemporary and relevant today as he ever was.

“I’m nearly 70 now; I don’t want to be going out like mutton dressed as lamb doing teenage songs,” he laughs.

“Songs like A Picture of You and I’m Henry The Eighth, all those kinds of songs we had hits with, are still applicable to any age group. We get a lot of younger people in who’ve never heard this kind of stuff and love it.”