A Bob Dylan tribute band from Bury are celebrating a decade of playing together — by returning to the venue where they made their debut.
The Zimmerman are playing the Brook Hotel, in Bolton Road West, Ramsbottom, on Saturday 10 years after their first gig there in October, 2004.
The group, aged between 40 and 60, say they are named after Bob Dylan’s real surname rather than their age, and have frequently played the venue since.
Guitarist Rick Lucas, organist Dave Hargreaves and drummer Rick Parkinson hail from Tottington and Greenmount, while vocalist Tom O’Gorman is from Bacup and bassist Bob Ainsworth lives in Cheshire. Mr Hargreaves, of Market Street, said the band was formed from a mutual love of the influential American singer.
He said: “I was minding some Bob Dylan records for a friend who was moving to Hong Kong, and I thought, wouldn’t it be great if I could have played on these records.”
The gig back in 2004 was the first in a series of free Saturday night gigs that Steve Taylor, the landlord of The Brook Hotel, had organised, and he sung their praises.
He said: “We get good turnouts for most bands but the Zimm’s seem to have their own Dylan fan base, comprising everything from folkies to out and out anoraks who can tell you stuff like the dates and line ups of all Dylan’s records – even the ones never released publicly.”
The concert starts at 9pm and entrance is free.
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