IF COVERS just don't cut it for you any more, then a new acoustic night in Kendal could be right up your street.

Every other Tuesday evening at Bootleggers (from next Tuesday) songwriters are being invited to "air their work" and, just maybe, some undiscovered gems could be brought to light.

At the helm is experienced singer-guitarist Barry Nelson who, after 23 years playing all over the UK, is no new kid on the block.

"This isn't a jam night but a chance for local songwriters to test their work on an appreciative audience," he says.

"A lot of singers and guitarists in local bands do their own material but don't really get the chance to play it.

There are also young people who've not got enough original material for a full set and otherwise wouldn't get the live experience."

He believes the music scene in and around the Lake District is excellent "because people up here know how to do it professionally without any of the pretentiousness" and he makes no bones about admitting that the majority of musical creativity takes place north of the Watford Gap.

"Most recording studios are down south and most of the talent is up north.

There's a lot more original material up here," he says.

So how would he persuade a quaking musician to get up there and "air" their own material in public?

"A lot of bars cater for football, insane dance music and karaoke, this is a nice alternative night and although there will be just as much drinking going on as anywhere else, the audience will be less rowdy and will appreciate it more."

Citing a clutch of his own musical influences as John Hiatt, Del Amitri, and to some extent David Gray, he is eager to point out that individuality is the key to creating your own music.

And with this he quotes from Shakespeare's Hamlet:

"This, above all things: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man."

"Just do your own thing" he says.

Well quite.