Buster Bloodvessel is back in Edinburgh with Bad Manners

Bad Manners' frontman Buster Bloodvessel. Picture: contributed

Now 57, Bloodvessel, real name Douglas Trendle, says: “Edinburgh is one of those places I’ve always enjoyed going back to, year after year.

“From the very early days to now, I’ve always known it to be a party city – one of my claims to fame is that only once, in all the 40 years of going backwards and forwards have I ever had to book a hotel room there.”

Trendle, who reportedly took his stage name from the bus conductor played by Ivor Cutler in the Beatles’ 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour, admits he never expected Bad Manners, who scored their first chart success in 1980, to still be touring today. It seemed absolutely impossible. We never thought we would be a long-term band, but from the early days we realised our great appeal was our live shows.

“Still, we never thought we’d last this long, but here we are, still going, its quite amazing really and sometimes, when I go out there, I feel like it is starting all over again, which gives a little tickle to my heart.”

That reason for their lasting success is two-fold, he explains: “Our songs are just party songs and people associate us with good-time party music so, if we are given a gig where everyone is a little under the weather shall we say, we always bring it to life with such great songs as Lip Up Fatty, Can Can and Special Brew.”

He continues, “Another part of the attraction is that we are very much a live band. Seeing us live brings it all back and makes people want to dance because it’s pumping stuff. I hear that live music is on the decline at the moment but for us it seems to be on the up.”

Bad Manners, The Biscuit Factory, Anderson Place, tomorrow, 10pm, £10, 0131-629 0809