RESURGENT rocker Wilko Johnson will crown a triumphant year by playing a rare gig on Canvey, with his son as the support act.

The madcap former lead guitarist and songwriter from Canvey’s most famous rhythm and blues band – Dr Feelgood – will perform at the Oysterfleet Hotel, Knightswick Road, Canvey, on Sunday, November 28.

Wilko will also introduce his son Simon, 24, to local fans, as he will play lead guitar with his own band as support act.

The gig will cap a highly successful year for the musician, who lives in Westcliff.

His career renaissance was sparked by the success of the documentary film about Dr Feelgood, called Oil City Confidential.

Wilko said: “I don’t generally get nervous about gigs in my old age, but I’ve always found playing in this area a bit nerve-wracking.

“I think it’s because although there are probably very few people I know in the crowd, you get the feeling when you get up on stage and start posing they know you’re just that bloke down the road. It can make you feel a bit exposed.

“I’m looking forward to playing on Canvey again though.”

This will be the guitarist’s first gig in South Essex for two years.

Wilko is famous for his distinctive playing style, which combines rhythm and lead guitar, but says his son plays completely differently.

He said: “When he learned to play he never consulted me, so it’s nothing like my style of playing. He’s got a good feel though and is maybe more like Jimi Hendrix.”

Wilko and his former band have become “cool” again thanks to Oil City Confidential, which hailed Dr Feelgood for blazing a trail for punk rock in the 1970s.

Members of one of Britain’s best-loved bands, Madness, named Wilko one of their main influences, when he presented them with Q Magazine’s lifetime achievement award.

A casting agent for American television network HBO was also so impressed with Wilko’s starring role in Oil City Confidential, he hired him to play the royal executioner in a medieval fantasy series called Game of Thrones which will debut in America in spring 2011.

The guitarist has also played high profile overseas gigs, including in Paris and Moscow.

To book tickets for the Oysterfleet show, call 01268 510111.