Mark E Smith of The Fall has been accused of many things across the years, from drunkenness to on-stage violence, and his cantankerous dispostion is legendary.

The destruction of an emerging band’s equipment is a relatively new addition to the ever-increasing list of Smith’s crimes.

“He had the habit of tweaking the amplifiers while we were on stage,” says Tom Windsor of Pope Joan, who recently supported the Mancunian arch-grouch on tour.

“They were using our bass amp and he kept turning it up until it caught fire. We didn’t get any money for it or anything but it was worth it for the anecdote.”

With a new bass amplifier on board and the revelation that Smith is actually “a pretty personable guy”, Brighton’s purveyors of jagged guitar stylings will be making an appearance on home turf at the Beachdown Festival tomorrow.

“We’re really looking forward to it,” says Windsor. “We’ve not really played many festivals before, so it’ll be a really good experience for us. I’d like to see it become a regular thing, because there are lots of good events here, but it’d be nice to have a summery camping festival.”

The band are gearing up for the release of a new mini-album, the intriguingly-titled Hot Water, Lines and Rickety Machines, due for release on September 8.

Windsor admits to being quite nervous about sending the eight-track disc out into the world.

“It’s hard because it feels like a long time since we recorded it,” he says. “We feel quite distanced from the recordings, and it’s like there are two stages – the recording and then playing the live gigs to promote it.”

Windsor says the band’s live act allows the quartet a chance to re-work the set-in-stone recorded versions of the tracks.

“We’ve been playing most of the songs on the mini-album live for a while. They do take on a different vibe live and people say we come across completely differently, so it’s about honing both of them.”

Formed at university and school (“we’re as much a group of friends as anything else,” Windsor says), the band have made a name for themselves with their fast and frenetic performances.

But what does the name mean?

“We just heard this story, a legend of a woman who pretended to be a man and acted as the pope until she was found out and executed,” Windsor explains.

“We liked that it’s about a sense of place and context and who you are, so there’s a serious side to it, but it’s also quite tongue-in-cheek.”

Having earned themselves a set of shiny backstage laminates as one of the performers at the event, who will Pope Joan be checking out at the festival?

“I’d like to see The Maccabees and My Device who are good friends of ours. De La Soul should be good as well.”

Pope Joan will be performing on the Brighton Stage at Beachdown from 3pm tomorrow.

  • 3pm, festival tickets £85, www.beachdownfestival.com