YOU might not be familiar with his name, but, in certain circles, Neil Innes is a near-legendary figure.

If you're a fan of barking mad Sixties pyschedelic rock, you'll know that Innes was a founder member of the extraordinary Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band.

The band, whose one and only British hit single, I'm the Urban Spaceman, was one of their less mad musical projects, is not Innes's only claim to fame. He also created the inspired Beatles send-up band The Ruttles and was an unofficial member of the Monty Python team.

Not surprisingly, Innes has one or two stories to tell - and he'll be doing just that, in his trademark witty style, at The Tower on Thursday.

With a career spanning the Sixties, it's not surprising that Innes bumped into some of the decade's most influential characters. John Lennon was apparently a big fan of Innes's off-the-wall musings, as were the Monty Python team, who asked him to contribute songs and make guest appearances in their films.

In addition to the anecdotes, the show will feature plenty of original music. AW

THe Tower, Winchester. Thursday. Performance: 8pm. Tickets: from £8. Box office: 01962 867986.