Music legend Tony Christie is on his way to Melbourne Assembly Rooms – and he’s not the only big name the small venue has landed in the coming months. Assembly Rooms manager Andy Heafield has also signed up veteran singer Kiki Dee and Iain Matthews (he of Matthews Southern Comfort) for forthcoming gigs.

Iain Matthews will be in August and Kiki Dee in November, but first, on April 1, is Tony Christie, famous for such hits as Is This The Way To Amarillo, I Did What I Did For Maria, and Avenues And Alleyways. However, Tony will not be singing any of these in Melbourne – a fact that anyone who likes the idea of going along to the gig must be sure of.

He has been signed up as part of what started out as a short tour with British/Irish folk quartet Ranagri, performing The Great Irish Songbook, but has now become a rather longer one. The collaboration has already led to two albums of classics, the first dating back to 2015. The sound is as authentic as it gets, while Tony’s crystal-clear diction draws attention to the stories in the lyrics of songs that perhaps people won’t have listened to as closely as they might over the years.

Read more: Take a look around the thriving Melbourne Assembly Rooms

Tony’s grandparents played in a ceilidh band in County Mayo. His grandfather, Martin Fitzgerald, came to England looking for work after the First World War. His father is Paddy Fitzgerald, and that is the international star’s real surname. He grew up listening to Irish music, owns a melodeon passed down from his grandfather, and now, at 79, is revelling in performing the music.

Tony, who lives near Lichfield, says of his Melbourne gig: “I’ve sung in the other Melbourne (Australia) many years ago and it will be a pleasure to perform at the original one. It’s a different show and doesn’t include my hits, but it’s music I am proud to perform and a great part of my heritage."

He is appearing as part of the Assembly Rooms’ association with local promoters, Village Folk. The venue, a former school, was reopened 10 years ago as a community facilities and performance venue and has a growing reputation for its intimacy and the quality of the acoustics.

Andy Heafield said: “To get artists of this calibre to come to our venue is a real coup, however part of the allure to come here is two-fold – how we treat our performers and also the reputation the venue now has among artists and audiences alike. Who’d have thought it when we took over an empty building ten years ago – Tony Christie at the Melbourne Assembly Rooms?”

Naturally, there was a rush for tickets when the Saturday, April 1, gig was first announced but there may still be a few left, at £22.50, bookable by visiting www.ticketsource.co.uk/mccl.

Read more: