When Devo formed in the early Seventies they took their name from the idea that man was in the process of devolution, going back into primitive forms.

Now as the band prepares to embark on their first UK tour for more than 15 years founder member Jerry Casale has bad news for mankind.

"The whole world has devolved. We are not talking about something in the future any more," he says.

"Humans as a species are giving in to their worst traits. We are yelling about saving the planet when people are really yelling about saving themselves.

"In 1980 if I had said, I'm going to show you a clear image of 2007', you would not have believed it. It would have made you go home and put the covers over your head."

The concept of Devo has its roots in the Kent State University shootings of 1970, where Jerry was a student. He met fellow musician Mark Mothersbaugh about the same time and the pair started working on a sound that would go on to influence bands like Franz Ferdinand, Futureheads, Polysics and We Are The Physics.

"We were like the punky Kraftwerk," says Jerry. "We weren't using synths to make pretty sounds. Mark was interested in finding the most scary sounds he could.

"We grew up in Akron and Cleveland - we were surrounded by the industrial culture and the effects of the culture as it died.

"As an artist you are representing what you know and take what is around you." Sadly, as Jerry confesses, over the years the electronics took over the five-piece band, which broke up its classic line-up in the mid-Eighties before a series of reformations brought them to the point they are at today.

"We are playing songs from all the records on tour, but we have skewed the sound more towards the guitar-orientated Devo as oppose to the techno/sequencer Devo," says Jerry.

Devo also became known in the early MTV age for their quirky videos for songs such as the international hit Whip It and their electronic take on the Rolling Stones's Satisfaction, featuring the band either in bright yellow overalls or shiny aluminiumlooking suits with flowerpot hats.

Jerry says: "Devo were like the party band on the Titanic. We tried to use satire and theatrics to warn people and entertain them at the same time."

With Mark concentrating on writing music for films, any new Devo records are not currently on the cards, although it is something Jerry feels the world needs. He has released his own solo work under the name Jihad Jerry which is proving a hit on Youtube.

"Nobody buys music," says Jerry. "There is not a business model for an artist to make money off the internet unless they are Beyonce or U2.

"It could be the end of music artists with a body of work. There will just be a bunch of one-off singles."

Support comes from The Scanners.

  • starts 7.30pm, tickets £35. Call 01273 709709.