Monday isn’t the first day that springs to mind when thinking about going to a gig – but that is exactly the plan for a new occasional Monday night folk, roots and acoustic music event ‘Artree Live @ The Clubhouse’.

Artree Music, Berkshire’s premier folk, roots and acoustic music promoters have teamed up with Stan Hetherington – the driving force behind the hugely successful Wokingham Music Club, and Wokingham Festival, to host an evening of live music in Wokingham on a Monday night.

The idea of a collaboration between both organisations has been a number of years in the making, and if successful, could increase to more than just the occasional show currently planned.

The first show – scheduled for Monday, February 1 will be given a raucous start with a headline set by very highly rated sea shanty band The Salts.

The Salts, fronted by twice BBC Young Folk Finalist Lee Collinson-James, have circumnavigated the Commonwealth with tours of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Their debut album, ‘She Rises’ features a mesmerising mix of full speed traditional and original shanties – and their live show is full of great musicianship, sing-a-longs and banter.

Also performing will be Bruce Neil. A Wokingham native, Bruce is a singer/songwriter with a folk inspired sound, producing songs with heartfelt depth and lyrics that captivate the listener. His music has been heard on the BBC radio network nationally.

Stan Hetherington, of Wokingham Music Club, said: "I’m delighted to be able to host the guys from Artree at my club for what I hope will be a long and fruitful association.

"The clubhouse where we host the Wokingham Music Club events is an ideal venue for roots and acoustic music, and although I have programmed the genre sporadically in the past – having a semi regular show dedicated to it is a great step forward in providing another opportunity to the live music fans in Wokingham."

Phil Daniels, of Artree Music, said: "Collaborating with Stan at Wokingham Music Club is a great fit for us.

"He has built up an excellent reputation in the town for his live music events, and this gives us an opportunity to branch out from our regular shows at South Hill Park in Bracknell, while still being close enough to appeal to our core audience who have supported us so magnificently over the years.

"Offering a live music event on a Monday is a risk, and will certainly pose some challenges with regards promotion and marketing – but we’re strong believers that if the product is good, people will invest time in it – and we’re determined to make sure each line up at these Clubhouse shows is worth the investment."

For more information about Artree Music – visit www.artree.org.uk