Buster Bloodvessel and his motley crew return to Brighton once more as part of a series of dates to mark the singer's 50th birthday.

But it wasn't so long ago that the man formerly known as Douglas Trendle was warned he might not reach this milestone.

Years of being vastly overweight had taken their toll on his health, forcing Buster - 31 stone at the time - to undergo drastic surgery to remove part of his stomach, an intervention that could have saved his life.

"I have very fond memories of my life, but I'm very lucky to be alive," says Buster, speaking from the Bad Manners tour bus.

"I've had such a disastrous few years with my health - I had meningitis as well, and a hernia that threatened a heart attack, but now I've had to become as fit as a lion."

Now hovering around 13 stone after a strict regime of dieting and exercise, Buster has put most of his difficulties behind him, and has had dozens of offers from television and magazines to document his extraordinary weight loss.

"But I didn't do this just for myself, it was for the people who want to come to our shows in the future," he says.

To mark his 50th birthday (which was actually on September 6), Bad Manners are re-visiting some of the towns and cities Buster has particularly fond memories of from more than 30 years of touring.

"Rather than having one big party in London, we decided to have lots of parties with our friends in lots of different places," he says, adding that Brighton was an essential destination from the beginning.

"I've been coming to Brighton for many years," he says.

"We used to play it three times a year because we were so popular with people thereÉ we'd fill the Dome and there'd be people banging on the doors to get in."

He says the band have since found "new homes" at Concorde and later, Concorde 2.

Formed in 1976 by school-friends, Bad Manners' irreverent take on ska secured them a loyal fanbase from the off, but Buster admits he never thought he would still be jumping about on stage all these years later.

"When we first started we didn't think we'd even make the next gig!" he says.

"We were doing it for a laugh and we didn't want to take the music business seriouslyÉ it was a good attitude to have because it gave us something unique."

The line-up has changed around Buster over the years, but he still delivers the likes of Lip Up Fatty and Special Brew with the level of enthusiasm that got him banned from Italian television for mooning the audience.

He says he even finds it easier to bound around the place with his slimmer physique.

"I'm like a ballerina on stage now," he says.

"I just love to perform, and I've always been someone who works an audience, but when I was big it was hard.

"It's much easier now. I don't do the cartwheels any more because of the hernia, but I never say never."

Support comes from Max Splodge and The Blocks.

  • 7pm, £15, 01273 673311