IT was a case of the show must go on for a Monmouth band whose tour bus and equipment was destroyed in an arson attack in Northern Ireland.

Jazz band The Jiveoholics were in Derry to play three gigs at the city’s jazz festival on the weekend of Friday, April 29.

But, after what lead singer Bleddyn Williams called "an inferno", around £50,000 worth of equipment went up in flames in the early hours of Saturday morning.

However, the determined six-piece played their remaining gigs on the Saturday and Sunday using borrowed equipment and even managed to salvage £30,000 worth of equipment from the wreckage.

Lead singer Bleddyn Richards, also known as Johnny Cool, said they had arrived in Derry at 5.45pm on the Friday and played a gig before going to bed at 1.45am.

He said: "Then at 4.30am, all sorts of things started happening. The alarms at the Tower Hotel where we were staying started going off and the whole place was evacuated. We were horrified to see three vehicles, including our van, had been set on fire as well as a skip."

Organisers offered to fly the band home to Wales immediately, but Mr Richards and the band were resolute and Mayor of Derry, Colum Eastwood and the local council looked after them for the rest of their stay.

He said a shop called Henderson’s leant them equipment, adding: "It was probably yobs and that can happen anywhere. It’s a beautiful city and we are glad we stayed, the atmosphere was amazing."

While their £8,000 van was destroyed, band members sifted through the wreckage and salvaged a lot of equipment, putting it into bin liners. They drove home in two hired vehicles and have managed to cut the loss down to £20,000.

Insurers have offered to pay back £10,000, with the band, which has been together four years, able to continue playing.

Their next gig is at the Ross-on-Wye Jazz and Swing Festival next Friday.