"We had a full house and had a great night," said Ruby after the show in at the Plough Arts Centre in Great Torrington.   "It was a real mixture of people all up for a good night out."

The seven-piece play a mixture of classic Western swing and their own numbers.   Atlantics vocalist Ruby, guitarist Paul, drummer Franky and piano man Jim are joined by Ranchero recruits Tom on double bass, and fiddlers Nick and Becki.

Ruby plays sax for The Atlantics but will be swapping it for a lap steel guitar in the Racheros.   She says the two bands will run side by side: "Western swing is a style we love but we didn't want to mix that up with The Atlantics set too much, as that's very much rock'n'roll and rhythm'n'blues which we also love, and the audience coming to see The Atlantics know what they're going to hear.

Amazing

"You get a flavour of it when we play songs like Mean Mama Boogie but the Lazy Rancheros are Western swing from start to finish.   We're very lucky that we happen to be in a town where we have two amazing fiddle players who want to play that style, so we have the full sound: the fiddles, accordion, steel guitar etc, and can play those songs like they were meant to be played.

"We play a mixture of covers such as Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Spade Cooley, Big Sandy, Patsy Cline plus some of our own songs, and all sorts of others that we think are just great rockin' tunes.   We're just playing some extra stuff with a different group and with other musicians.

"We don't expect to play huge amounts of gigs with The Rancheros as we're all so busy with other bands.   So we can only get together now and again. Catch us while you can!"

Ruby Darnell & The Lazy Rancheros can be seen at Croyde next June as part of the Dance on the Line weekender.

Country Meets Rock'n'Roll at the Royal Hotel in Woolacombe, Devon from April 20th-23rd with The Kingcats, The Mavericks, Smokey Mountain Boys and the Henry Smith Band.

From May 18th-21st it's the Bournemouth Bounce Jive Weekend at the Heathlands Hotel, Grove Road, East Cliff, Bournemouth BH1 3AY with the Swing Commanders, Oo-Bop-Sh'bam and the Ding Dong Daddios.

More info on all Strollin' Steve events on 01638 712187 / 07808 340776 or visit www.strollinsteve.co.uk


Yesterday Once More is back for a second year with its Ilfracombe weekender, "It's Still Rock'n'Roll To Me".   It all starts on March 9th.   YOM's Kelvin Ford says: "The weekend is designed to give a complete cross-section of all the rock'n'roll styles.   This is our second year and we have Mac Curtis performing with Matchbox 30 years after they toured the UK together, plus Hayden Thomson, Linda Gail Lewis, Crazy Cavan, Lennerockers, Jets, Firebirds, Lights Out, Roomates, Paul Ansell's Number 9, Colin Paul, Kingcats, Sundowners, Class of 58, Bobcats."


Riviera Swing brings the John Miller Orchestra and the Jive Aces to the Victoria Hotel, TLH holiday resort, Torquay from March 23rd-26th.   Info on 01708 374164 / 07966 390802.


The Richmond Holiday Centre in Skegness hosts its 32nd weekender from April 13th-16th with The Firebirds, The Kingcats, Downtown Daddyos, Jump & Jive, Danny & The Seniors, The Bobcats, Black Cat Trio, Glenn Darren, Roseville Rockers, Midnight Dynamos, Mike & The Rhythm Stars, The Buddies and Invicters 59.   Details from Sandy on 0115 932 2897.


Holiday Rock presents its Folkestone Jive weekender from April 20th-23rd 2012 at the Grand Burstin Hotel with The Kingcats, Good Rockin' Tonight, Bernie Woods & The Forest Fires, The Doomsday Rockers, The Heartbeats and This Little Girl.   Full board £139 per person.

The Prestatyn Jive Weekender 3 runs from September 28th to October 1st 2012 with a one-off exclusive show by The Wildkatz (from Pink & Black Cadillac fame), back after a seven-year break.   Also on the bill are Si Cranstoun, The Roomates, Phil Haley, The Bobcats, Lights Out, Rockin' The Joint, Good Rockin' Tonight, the Downtown Daddyos, Bernie Woods & The Forest Fires and This Little Girl.


The mighty Americana International festival runs from July 5th-9th at the County Showground in Newark, Nottinghamshire NG24 2NY with The Blasters, Ray Campi, Hayden Thompson Confederate Railroad, Two Tons Of Steel, Gene Watson, Modern Earl, Eve Selis, The Bayou Brothers George Hamilton's IV & V, Truly Lover Trio, Levi Dexter, Stacie Collins Band, Maryjean Lewis with The Starlight Boys, Si Cranstoun, The Fabulous Teddys, Union Avenue, The Polecats, The Fret Tones, The Firebirds, Danny Fisher, Jesse James & The Outlaws, Dragster, The Roseville Rockers, The Twangmasters, Relentless, The Sandiagos, Rootn Tootn, Brian Hughes & The Lone Sharks, Jack Rabbit Slim, Mike & The Rhythm Stars, Hicksville Bombers, The Mee Kats, The Diablos, Atlanta, The Doggone Daddys, Shawn Harvey & The B57s , The Doggone Honkabilly Band, Jerry Richards & The Evening Shadows, Mark Keeley's Good Rockin' Tonight, Jester Sons & Lovers, Quill, The John Dowson Band, Nancy Cat Lee and Donna Wilde.

Americana's Chris Jackson (pictured right) says: "There are 54 slots spread out over our five stages.   We also have a new indoor venue that will hold up to 7,000+ and we are very excited to to see how it fares.   If it rains, at least we'll have four large indoor venues to put everybody."

If it jumps, jives, bops or strolls we want to know about it.   or call 07833 703189.