Like the train that keeps on moving, the stone that keeps on rolling, the Big Wheel Blues Festival is proving just as long-lasting and impervious to time.

Now in its 20th year, the popular festival has announced its line-up for this year’s entertainment, and also a major shake-up in the organisation.

Instead of a two-day festival, which in the past few years has seen the Big Wheel Blues fest take over the Villa Marina in Douglas with a mix of free stages and consecutive big-name acts, this year the organisers have announced that they are to split the festival over two days at different venues, one each end of summer.

The first will be held at the Villa Marina, on Saturday, May 6, while the second will take place on Saturday, September 9, when the festival will return to it’s spiritual home of Laxey for a full day at the Working Men’s Institute.

One ticket will allow entry to both events and will they’ll be on sale from tomorrow (Friday), priced £22.50.

The line up for the first day of the festival will feature a legendary name in the world of blues and rock production, Mike Vernon and the Mighty Combo, supported by Veronica Sbergia and Max De Bernardi who make their return after playing here three years ago.

They will be backed up by the island’s very own Big Wheel Blues band.

Mike Vernon is a self-confessed ’born again’ singer, having only just decided to pick up the microphone and perform late on in his career.

His ’day job’ over the past few decades has seen him produce and work with an overwhelming number of legends and top musicians, including Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, Rod Stewart and Keith Richards. The list is impressive, and indicates the kind of circles Mike moves in.

Since founding the British blues label ’Blue Horizon’, he has released more than 100 albums on both sides of the Atlantic.

After years on the other side of the studio glass, he decided to return to singing, for the Mighty Combo, who have received widespread praise from all sides of the music press.

Veronica Sbergia and Max De Bernardi, the slightly eccentric blues, folk and ragtime duo who place their sound right in the heart of the 1920s, played a hugely successful show at the Big Wheel festival in 2014.

Explaining the unusual format for this year’s festival, organiser Pete Christian said:

’We wanted to provide some live music in Laxey and in Douglas, rather than just one against the other.

’Also, it should make it more manageable for the volunteers. A lot of work goes into one full weekend, and it would be nice to try something a bit different, to try to freshen it up a bit.

’It’s the same format, just slightly tweaked.

’Its the 20th festival we’ve done so far, and the 12th one I’ve been involved with. For festivals to survive this long, you have to be doing something right!’

The line up for the September date will be released closer to the time.

Tickets will be available from the Villa Gaiety box office or from etickets.im