The Dead Rat Orchestra has hopped on board a canal tour and will be mooring up to perform at various venues in Wiltshire this month.

The Cut is a 273-mile barge trip beginning at the London Canal Museum and ending at the Arnolfini on August 16.

The musicians will be living on the barge for the duration of the trip, only coming on to dry land to perform at various gigs, including Pewsey and the Kennet and AvonTrust at Devizes Wharf, before chugging on through to Bradford on Avon.

The Dead Rat Orchestra are Nathaniel Mann, Robin Alderton and Daniel Merrill who perform songs inspired by the traditions of the old canals and those who lived and worked on the waterways of Britain. The trio are determined to navigate the barge themselves and have had a crash course on the River Thames, learning how to navigate locks, before they embark on July 28.

The idea behind the musical trip is to explore the heritage of canals both past and present.

The DRO have toured and performed internationally with such stars as Martin Carthy, Godspeed You Black Emperor, and Silver Mount Zion. Their soundtracks have been featured on BBC television and at the Tate Modern.

The Wiltshire gigs of the canal tour are at The Crown Inn at Pewsey on August 10 at 8pm, Devizes Wharf on August 11 at 7.30pm, the Holy Trinity Church at Bradford on Avon on August 13 at 7.30pm.

All gigs are free entry. For more details visit www.thecrowninnpewsey.com or www1.katrust.org.uk/ – Flicky Harrison