TIN Spirits featuring XTC’s Dave Gregory are back in concert in their home town of Swindon, but there are only a few tickets left.

The prog rock band, that refuse to compromise, playing only the songs they want to play and enjoy listening to, are back at the Arts Centre stage on Thursday, December 3 from 8pm.

Dave was guitarist with XTC from 1979, taking over from Barry Andrews, another Swindon music hero, until 1999.

Dave played on such chart hits as Making Plans For Nigel and Senses Working Overtime as well as numerous studio albums.

Today Tin Spirits have two albums under their belt, both well received by their fans, Wired To Earth and Scorch.

Joining Dave in the rock outfit is lead singer and bass player Mark Kilminster, who beat off 20,000 wannabe stars to become vocalist with Stamford Amp, the resident band on the BBC 1 programme, The Saturday Show, in 2001. Stamford Amp scored a top 40 hit with Anything For You.

Mark was also in the Ludwig Beatles, Swindon’s popular Beatles tribute band, alongside fellow Tin Spirit band mate, drummer Dougie Mussard.

Dougie played for Mike D’Abo’s Mighty Quintet and is also drummer for the Hi-Fidels.

It was Dan Rheinhardt, Tin Spirits other guitarist, who founded the Hi-Fidels and he also runs The Gig Rig, designing systems to allow guitarists to ‘reach their tone potential.’ Dan comes from Australia and played with Max Sharam, whose song Coma was voted in to the top 10 of Triple J singles of all time.

It was Dan who challenged Dave to an amp shoot-out against the Hi-Fidels, and the musicians enjoyed themselves so much that Tin Spirits was born.

Tickets to see the prog rock band in action, playing a mix of their own songs and a couple of XTC numbers thrown in, are £12.50 from 01793 524481 or www.swindontheatres.co.uk.

— FLICKY HARRISON