With an acoustic guitar, snare, bass, washboard, spoons and shakers, Hilton Valentine & Skiffledog play high energy Skiffle and rock n' roll. Hilton balances the evening with stories he tells in song about his hometown river, the peace he wants in the world, and self reflection.

Hilton Valentine is best known for his work as the guitarist with the sixties British group, The Animals: most notably, his opening arpeggios in ‘House of the Rising Sun.’ Fuzz & Feedback - Classic Guitar Music of the '60s: “Undoubtedly what sold ‘The House Of The Rising Sun’ was an arresting arpeggiated solo guitar. The intricacies of the performance were dissected by guitar students the world over. Even today the riff still occupies a place in the great 12-Step Mastering The Guitar programme.”

Hilton made his name in rock & roll, earning himself a world wide number one hit, with House Of The Rising Sun, nine additional top 40 hits such as We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, It’s My Life, Don’t’ Let Me Be Misunderstood, Don’t Bring Me Down, I’m Crying and more, achieving gold records, a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and his handprint in Hollywood’s Rock Walk of Fame, but his beginnings were based in folk.

Born in the working class suburbs of Newcastle Upon Tyne, he fronted his very first skiffle band at the age of 13 playing Church halls, winning competitions and making the newspapers. Pepped up American folk music was the Skiffle craze that took England by storm in the 50s. It’s what prompted many English artists to pick up their first guitar. This is the music he would always return to.

He’s back to his roots with two full length album studio recordings of original acoustic music, along with the skiffle and early rock n’ roll that started him on his path to worldwide success. HARP magazine states ‘River Tyne’ and ‘Working Class Hero’ as “hauntingly compelling in their understated anger.” BBC Radio Scotland's senior producer, Stewart Cruickshank had this to say: “Genius Animals guitarist returns to roots in fine style. A fine selection of material, His own songs more than stand up to Mr. Lennon's and Mr. Leitch's.” Music writer Bruce Eder referencing the CD, Skiffledog on Coburg St, “It really rocks out, acoustic instruments and all…and gets this listener's pulse rising and his feet tapping, so that by "Gamblin' Man" I was dancing around my apartment the first time I played this!”