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When you think British country music, you probably don’t think about naked mountaineering doctors – but Hank Wangford is proud to do things differently.

Hank, real name Dr SamHutt, has played some of his favourite shows in Merseyside – and his worst.

“The worst ever was in Parbold, so not far down the road,” laughed Hank, 73.

“The audience were bad, I was bad, and then I went back to a miserable B&B and watched my team – Arsenal – lose a bad match. But then the next night I played a gig just outside Formby and it was brilliant.

“There was this 85-year-old bloke who came to see me after the show. His name was George, he lived in Formby and he played the ukulele. I swear he was George Formby’s spirit.”

Hank has been playing gigs in the city since the early 80s.

“I’ve played the Bluecoat a few times and the university – it’s always a great crowd in Liverpool. I was actually in the Cavern when I found out that John F Kennedy had been shot. I’d come to Liverpool to see Merseybeat for myself. So on that night in 1963 I was listening to this new music that was about to change the world, trying to take in what was going on in America.”

On Wednesday night Hank – practising gynaecologist and president of the Nude Mountaineering Society – will play the 02 Academy .

“I’m looking forward to being back in Liverpool,” he said. “And if you have a mountain I may well climb it.”

Not a mountain but Hope Street is on a hill. “That’ll have to do,” he laughed.

Hank plays the O2 Academy on Wednesday. Tickets www.hankwangford.com

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