Songbook show at Roadmender

The former Northampton residents will be joined by Steve Cradock (Ocean Colour Scene), Andy Lewis and Steve Pilgrim.

Speaking about the concept behind the shows, Crofts said: “The idea slowly grew over a Paul Weller tour towards the end of the year.

“Steve Pilgrim and Steve Cradock were the two that were mainly chatting about it.

“After years on the road we just love performing together, and we are a tight unit. While Paul starts work in the studio we want to carry on gigging,

“The original idea was to do a gig and play some of our own songs and mix. “The next thing we were booking more shows, but obviously we can only do that when all five of us are free. We will add more dates later in the year.”

Cradock joined the Paul Weller band 20 years ago and has played guitar on every album since Wildwood.

Pilgrim has played with The Stands and Cast and has been in the Weller’s band for the past seven years while bassist Lewis was one of the founding DJs at the legendary club night Blow Up which was a massive cult night in London in the 1990s.

Explaining how the show will work, Crofts added: “The plan is we will take it in turns to share the centre mic.

“For instance, I’ll get up to the centre mic, play some Moons songs, with Steve Cradock on guitar, Andy Lewis on bass, Ben Gordelier on drums and then Steve Pilgrim on acoustic guitar or something.

“Then Steve Cradock will go to centre mic, and I’ll maybe go on bass, with Andy Lewis going on keys. We will just mix it up like that, with sets of our own material.

“I can’t wait to get out there and play. I’ll be performing Moons songs but it will be different. I get itchy feet if I am sat around at home too long plus it will be great to play Northampton again.”

The Songbook Collective play the Northampton Roadmender on Friday, April 22.

Doors open at 8pm. Tickets cost £16 in advance and are via seetickets, the venue and from Spiral Archive Records. Visit @PWbandofficial on Twitter..