A LEGENDARY ska band is kicking off its tour in Carlisle next week.

Bad Manners perform at the Old Fire Station on Wednesday.

The band were at their biggest in the 1980s, when they dominated the charts alongside fellow ska bands Madness, The Specials and The Selecter.

They’ve undergone splits, hiatuses, reformations and line-up changes but have maintained an audience and just returned from playing to thousands in Mexico.

Frontman Buster Bloodvessel said: “I'm very proud of Bad Manners.

“I mean, we've been going a long time, if you consider we started in 1975.

"The history books all state 76 - we started in 75 and we never thought we'd keep going.

“As a nine-piece band that was an extremely hard thing to do.

"I know of no other nine-piece band that stayed together as long as us."

Back on the touring circuit, with some UK summer festival dates behind them, Buster has sensed a certain caution among gig goers.

But he has witnessed a desire to see live music again, one matched by his own eagerness to perform.

He said: “What we did notice was the frustration that we've been away so long and that people really want to get out and let their hair down and go crazy.

"And I suppose we're lucky enough to be one of those bands that can give that to them.

“When it happened [last Christmas’ lockdown], I was flabbergasted."

Bad Manners play The Old Fire Station in Carlisle on Wednesday, December 1.

Tickets are £21.50, available from oldfirestation.carlisle.city.