Preview: The Dot; Electric Circus

HE may have retired The Streets by hanging a ‘closed’ sign on the official website, but it seems that Mike Skinner can’t stay away from music.

Just 18 months after the so-called ‘Chav Poet Laureate’ brought things to a close with a final gig at London’s Brixton Academy, he’s back with The DOT, a new musical project pairing him with Rob Harvey, ex-frontman of indie also-rans The Music.

“We’d both been in bands for ten years and obviously Mike was really successful with he did and I had a little bit of succes with The Music boys,” says Harvey, who joins Skinner on stage at Electric Circus tomorrow night under their new guise. “We were just bored of doing the same thing, and just wanted to do something different.”

So how did the collaboration come about? “We’ve have always been friends as we shared the same manager for years,” explains Harvey. “Had a few mad festivals together as well and that. So the introduction was easy and we were both at a crossroads in our careers in music.

“[We’re both] hungry for new challenges as well,” he continues. “We had a jam in the studio and it felt like something we should pursue. There were vibes straight away.”

The pair describe debut album And That as a vibrant mix of influences that ranges from straight-ahead pop songs to a more dancey sound.

The DOT, Electric Circus, Market Street, tomorrow, 7pm, £15, 0131-226 4224