This week sees the release of a the first of a spate of new material from the erstwhile rocking Viking Dan Looney.

More familiar as the charismatic frontman of Looney and the Vikings, Dan is taking a bit of a side step and has been writing and recording under the new name of Loonstar and the Astronauts.

He has spent the last few weeks holed up in the Ballagroove studio with the sound-engineering guru Gyp Buggane, and has emerged with a solo album’s worth of songs, the first of which gets a full release this week.

Dan’s single, ’A Moment In Time’ was recorded with help from Gyp on bass and multi-instrumentalist Sue Harrison, who also plays saxophone with the Vikings, and is an emotion-heavy and moving tribute to his father, Larry Looney, who sadly died earlier this year.

He presented his mum, Eileen, with a copy of the song last week, on her birthday, prior to the release.

’The song is for her and it’s about my Dad, who we lost in June,’ said Dan.

’The song is my Dad talking to her and telling her its all OK and he is still here. It is sad but, equally, I hope, a happy song.

’He is also talking to me in the song and I talk to him, so it is also very emotional in that respect too.’

Dan also said that he is planning to release another single, ’Shining Star’, around November-time and is hoping to have a full album, entitled ’Spitfire’, released early next year.

’A Moment in Time’ is out on all good streaming services from tomorrow (Friday).

All you Vikings fans can rest easy, though.

Dan assures me that Looney and the Vikings are very much still together. Hopefully we’ll see them rampaging round a stage somewhere sometime soon.

Elsewhere, the mighty metal beast The Fletcher Christian Mutiny stormed to victory in last week’s final heat of the Quids Inn Battle of the Bands.

A packed pub saw the mutineers, featuring vocalist and frontman Keef Lawler-lungs, the twin-guitar attack of Justine McCallum and Nell Kneale, bassist Andrew Cregeen and tub thumper Stephen Quinn, beat off tough competition from indie rockers The Getaways and Sunset Jet.

The grand final of the (very) long-running competition, which began in the distant pre-lockdown days way, way back in late February and early March, will now conclude with an epic, heavy-weight battle, with The Fletcher Christian Mutiny joining Swarf Damage, Warbird and Acoustic Atmosphere .

Battle commences on Friday, October 16. Keep an eye on the Quids Inn Facebook page for further updates.

Don’t forget to check the Island Life gig guide on page 22 for a full round up of this week’s live gigs and concerts.