THE SOUNDS of Smokie will be heard next month as Keighley Library again becomes a rock music venue.

Wild Wild Angels will perform their tribute to the Bradford classic rock band as part of National Heritage Day on September 15.

Local band Howlin’ Johnny and the Devils Rejects will also perform during the launch launch of a new exhibition about Keighley’s music scene during the 1970s.

The display follows a hugely-successful exhibition about Keighley’s music scene during the 1950s and 1960s, which was unveiled at last year’s Heritage Day.

This year’s event will feature guest speaker Billy Barton, who started his musical career the 1970s with Keighley heavy rock legends Dawnwatcher.

Compering the event will be Malcolm Hanson, former keyboard player and vocalist with 70s local band Enid, who put together the exhibition.

Malcolm said the launch of Keighley’s Music in the 70s would see the audience getting involved “to the hilt”.

He said: “The day will be a trip down Memory Lane with hundreds of photos and documents of Keighley’s best rock and pop acts of the 70s being shown for the first time.

“There will also will be a Hall of Fame featuring stars connected to Keighley such as PJ Proby, Sandra Dorne, Peter Mayhew and others.

“We will also be featuring a look back at what we saw at the local cinema, plus some of the classic shows that visited us such as the notorious Sex Pistols at Nikkers, and AC/DC at Victoria Hall.”

Malcolm said that, just like the library’s recent 1960s concert with the Doveston Brothers and The Presidents, the event would really take off when the live music began.

He said: “There are hundreds of Smokie fans still around, and though we couldn’t get the real thing, we got Wild Wild Angels, mentored by ex-Smokie drummer, Ron Kelly, who is hoping to fly in from Germany for the day.

“Howlin’ Johnny and the Devils’ Rejects are current favourites on the psycho/rockabilly scene, packing them in with an uproariously outrageous show that gets everyone up on their feet.

“Apart from the show, Howlin’ Johnny also features in the exhibition himself, with rare photos from his Johnny Dynamite and Nashville Hipshake days.”

National Heritage Day will feature hundreds of events staged across the country in libraries, halls and museums.

Malcolm added: “There will be many other things taking place at the library on September 15, but there will be nothing at all to match the Keighley’s Music in the 70s exhibition, and you can bet your life no other library will be featuring live music.

“It’s a first, and once again, it’s a Keighley first!”