WHEN a band named Bad Manners is appearing on stage or TV it is a bit of a clue that they are not going to be sipping tea from Dresden china, or eating cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off – at least not with any finesse.

Yet the ska outfit were banned from Italian TV after lead singer Buster Bloodvessel mooned at a concert audience, because rumour had it the Pope was watching.

Back here in the UK, his manic exploits also had them exiled from the BBC’s Top of the Pops for a while.

On various occasions he dressed up in radical costume performing as a black head on one occasion, and a can can dancer on another.

The London-based outfit, who got together in 1976, while attending Woodberry Down Comprehensive School, performed their first gig at Stonehenge Free Festival.

Buster, whose real name is Douglas Trendle, took his stage name from the bus conductor played by Ivor Cutler in the Beatles’ 1967 film Magical Mystery Tour.

The ska kings will play in Swindon as part of their Christmas Party Tour on Tuesday, December 1 at The Victoria, Victoria Road, Old Town from 8.30pm.

The first albums, Gosh...It’s Bad Manners, Loonee Tunes and Ska ‘n’ B made them household names alongside the Two Tone and ska revival bands such as Madness, The Specials and The Selector.

Top 10 hit singles such as Special Brew, Lip Up Fatty, Can Can, My Girl Lollipop and Walking In The Sunshine guaranteed them TV slots on shows such as Cheggers Plays Pop, Tiswas, Noel Edmonds’ The Time Of Your Life, and in 1981 a documentary film called Dance Craze.

The band set up Blue Beat Records in a 50ft barge sailing across the garden of Buster’s home. The band continued touring and Buster, who was given the nickname Buddha in Doc Martens, moved to Margate setting up a hotel on the seafront called Fatty Towers.

The singer is also a huge football fan and sponsored Margate FC for a season.

In 2004 Buster was invited to appear on Never Mind The Buzzcocks as a contestant, and a few months later Bad Manners returned to the TV show for a Christmas special, performing festive tunes for Phill Jupitus’ team.

The following year the musicians hosted their own music festival called Bad Fest at RAF Twinwood Farm, featuring all ska, mod and punk bands.

In 2011 their back catalogue of hit albums were released on CD, and the band toured globally, followed by their first single in 13 years, What Simon Says.

The band donated proceeds from the single, released in 2012, to food poverty charity Trussell Trust.

Max Splodge will support Bad Manners at their Swindon gig and tickets are £18 in advance from 01793 535713 or £20 on the door.

— Flicky Harrison