A LOCAL band who have been creating a big impression across the UK are playing in Chester tomorrow night (Thursday).

The Trials of Cato will be headlining the Flying Gramophone event at Alexander’s Live at Rufus Court off Northgate Street.

Mark Radcliffe, of BBC Radio Two, recently said of them: “One of the real discoveries on the folk circuit in recent times”

Although two of the band members are local, The Trials of Cato were formed in Beirut in Lebanon in the summer of 2015 while they worked there as teachers.

They spent a formative year performing on the Lebanese music scene and developing their sound.

Following their debut at Radio Beirut in September 2015, they went on to regularly fill some of the city’s foremost venues.

They returned to the UK in the autumn of 2016 and have since recorded their self-titled debut EP, The Trials of Cato at Abbey Road ​institute.

The band’s live set is made up of both original and traditional material, featuring fretted instruments alone to achieve a distinctive and powerful sound.

With tight instrumentation and rousing harmonies, the music is firmly rooted in the folk traditions of Ireland and Britain while retaining a real contemporary edge.

Following their sojourn in Beirut, The Trials of Cato have spent the past few months playing across the UK including the Cambridge and Shrewsbury Folk Festivals.

​Mandolin player Robin Jones said: ‘We’re always super excited about playing in Chester.

“In the past the crowd and atmosphere have been phenomenal at Alexander’s, so we’re really looking forward to the show.’

Also appearing is Luke Gardner who performs a diverse range of acoustic rock, folk, country and indie classics, as well as his own excellent originals.