SHE is known for her barnstorming guitar solos but for her show at Darwen Library Theatre next Friday, rock and blues star Chantel McGregor wants to show a different side to her fans.

For she will be performing a rare acoustic gig, leaving her trademark electric guitars behind.

“Yes, it will be just me and an acoustic guitar,” she said. “It’s very different to a normal show but I like living dangerously.

“You are exposed and bare and if anything goes wrong everybody notices but hopefully that doesn’t happen very often!

“I like writing acoustic songs but really the main reason for doing the shows is that it means I can concentrate more on my voice because I’m not having to play widdly solos all the time.

“I usually try and do four acoustic shows a year so Darwen will be a very exclusive gig.”

Chantel, a multiple British Blues Award winner, is currently working on material for her third album, the follow-up to 2015’s Lose Control.

“I have around half of the songs written for the album now and I’m hoping it will be ready for release later in the year,” she said.

Lose Control with its Gothic, Southern rock influences was very different from her debut album Like No Other.

“I think the new album will be a mixture of the two really, although it’s also a bit weirder too,” she laughed. “I’ve got this 10-minute prog thing which will definitely be on it. People love it at gigs, but there will also be more singer-songwritery stuff too.

“I’ve kind of got all the widdly solos in one 10 minute song and the others don’t have any. I’ll probably put a couple of acoustic songs on there. I like different textures on an album.”

For the acoustic show, Chantel has a few surprises in store.

“I will be doing a few band songs,” she said, “but they will be a completely different take. It does take a lot of editing and changing things around but there’s that old thing that it’s the sign of a good song if you can take it back to just an acoustic guitar and voice.”

Plus there may also be a few covers thrown in for good measure.

“I’ve always been one for taking a song and thinking how to change it completely,” she said. “So there will probably be some weird Lady Gaga stuff and Bruno Mars in the set.”

Chantel McGregor, Darwen Library Theatre, Friday, April 20. Details from 0844 847 1664