For 47 years Rick Wakeman - inventive synth player and former Yes keyboardist - has lived his life surrounded by music.

The London-born pianist is renowned for his spell with the 1970s giants garnering the critical and commerical acclaim few ever experience.

Tonight he returns to Basingstoke's The Anvil.

Much like his music, Wakeman's career has been diverse - recording with the likes of David Bowie, T-Rex and Elton John before becoming a household name in his own right due to his droll inclusion in BBC Two's Grumpy Old Men.

The years may be getting older, but Wakeman isn't.

"You shouldn't trust YouTube," Wakeman told The Gazette last week.

"The difficulty with that thing is that you may hear someone on it but they really aren't very good. 

"I remember hearing this singer-songwriter on YouTube and thought he was really good then I just so happened to see a live performance of him and just went no - there was a big difference."

Across six decades Wakeman has continually redefined his music; his progressive style constantly shifting through his work with seventies symphonic rock group Yes; conceptual solo Journey to the Centre of the Earth and more recently with the promise of supergroup Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman.

"I think this is my sixth or seventh time here in Basingstoke and I love it here because I have friends around the area - it's always good when you can play to some of your friends," Wakeman continued.

"I just thoroughly enjoy playing - I got asked the other night what would I be doing if I wasn't playing on stage and I just answered I'd be playing in my room.

"Music is a sort of offspring that you have from birth - you always have it and you often don't see the little changes and developments in it over the years."

Tonight's performance in Basingstoke, the 66-year-old is performing his tracks in the form they were first concieved - Rick and his piano.

Rick is at The Anvil tonight from 7.30pm. 

Tickets are £26 and for more information is anvilarts.org.uk.