A MINI-Who’s Who of British comedy and musical talent hits the Wyvern Theatre for a sold-out show tomorrow.

The Idiot B*****d Band features Ade Edmondson of Young Ones, Comic Strip and Bottom fame on everything from guitar and banjo to trumpet and coconuts.

Neil Innes, ex-Rutle, ex-Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and associate of Pythons and Beatles, plays keyboards, guitar and uke, while Rowland Rivron of Raw Sex and the Jools Holland Big Band is billed as providing drums, congas, bongos and rude shouting.

Guitar, bass, kazoo and triangle are played by Phill Jupitus, the stand-up best known for his long stint on Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

The band play their own comic songs plus pieces by performers including Jake Thackray, Syd Barrett, George Formby, They Might Be Giants, Ian Dury, Mel Brooks, The Mighty Sparrow and The Bonzos.

“It’s been around in embryo for years,” Ade said when the Adver asked him about the band.

“I used to share a flat with Rowland Rivron in about 1980 or 1981.

“His partner, Simon Brint, and I used to own eight track recorders and the three of us used to write little ditties at that point.”

The other two members are on board thanks to a one-off concert to celebrate The Bonzos’ 40th anniversary in 2006, when Ade and Phill were among the performers who gathered for a celebratory show.

“I always found Neil a bit scary before that,” Ade said, “but he’s a very jolly cove once you get to know him.”

Ade traces his love of comic songs – and The Bonzos – back to his childhood, when comedy records livened dull school days.

“When I was a kid and I was at boarding school in the wilds of Yorkshire – a very male school, it was very, very dull – we used to have a game to think of new words for boredom.

“I think comedy music has to be about joy – it has to be joyful.”