A byword for a particularly English brand of hard rock, Thunder have been rumbling since the late eighties and, in spite of several break-ups and reunions, got together again in 2011 with four-fifths of the original line-up.

Two of the ever-present Thunderers are lead singer Danny Bowes and guitarist and keys man Ben Matthews. Having reunited this year for what was initially just one show, at the High Voltage Festival in July, it seems the band are getting their mojo back. The group has recently announced a one-off Christmas show and Danny and Ben are embarking on a series of intimate gigs, billed as 'An evening with Danny and Ben from Thunder'.

Not to be confused with the telly format of 'Evening with...' where 'celebrities' laugh hysterically at dreadfully staged one-liners from erstwhile stars of pop and entertainment, the Danny and Ben shows sound altogether more appetising.

The duo is set to perform acoustic retellings of a number of Thunder favourites plus covers of some of their favourite tracks from other artists and a few rock'n'roll stories. A civilised affair with a seated audience, the shows will feature two sets of stripped-down tunes and promises plenty of audience participation. Presumably this means more than just singing along or slow-mo headbanging and sounds like a great chance to get close to some of heavy rock's most enduring stars.

Danny and Ben from Thunder kick off their intimate tour in Gateshead on Thursday 5th January, followed by dates in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Norwich, Cambridge, Ballymena (NI) and Sheffield, before the final show of the run at London's Bush Hall on Friday 20th January 2012.

We have tickets available now for all dates, priced £17.50.

Ahead of the January dates, the full Thunder line-up will be playing a Christmas show at Nottingham's Rock City on Wednesday December 21st. The show will be the band's first Christmas date since 2008 and tickets are priced £27.50. Deck the halls with boughs of ROCK.