What a catch eh? The small but perfectly formed coastal village of Port Isaac in Cornwall has already starred on TV with the filming of the Martin Clunes grump-a-thon TV drama, "Doc Marten". So it isn't surprising that a group of residents amuse themselves with some cheery singing as they drag in the nets and sort out their slippery fishy treasures on the quayside. If you thought Fisherman's Friends were a sweet designed to skin a chicken with one breathy-blast, think again. They sing shanties and they rock (well, in a sea-shanty sort of way) and they are number 7 on the mid-week Album Charts as I type. An appearance on Titchmarsh surely beckons...

After the success of other South West exports like Seth Lakeman, Muse, Joss Stone, Show Of Hands, Jackie Oates and Cara Dillon, these true-to-life local tradesmen are the 'next big thing'. They have a couple of dates confirmed outside of Port Isaac (they perform each Friday at the village's Platt - it's a tradition) in London at the Royal Festival Hall on 19th June, Falmouth's International Sea Shanty Festival (get in!) on the 20th June and Glasto, Trowbridge, Cambridge Folk and Newquay Boardmaster Festivals during the summer. They have two autumn dates confirmed in St Ives (20th Sep) and Ilfracombe (1st Oct) - tickets cost £12.50 and already in demand.

As if this wasn't enough, the lads could well be appearing in a film. The famous Ealing Studios is set to start working on "No Hopers, Jokers and Rogues" this year, the title being the same as a single due for release by the Friends at the end of May. It's a good story - friends for life singing about their traditions and camaraderie.