After more than 43 years on the road Eddie and the Hot Rods are finally parking the tour bus for good, following a farewell tour of the UK.

Barrie Masters, lead singer, says although he still loves playing live, it is the touring that is taking its toll.

“I feel I have paid my dues,’’ he said. “I have had some great messages, lovely memories and we have a great guest list for our final concert of the tour in the O2 at Islington. Obviously there are some ex Hot Rods appearing, but there are a number of others that are under wraps at the moment. The main thing is fitting it all in. We need a proper rehearsal and everything.’’

Barrie also says that he has been taking particular notice of the songs that his fans have been mentioning in their messages online.

“We will try to fit in as many of those songs as we can in the show. It is split into four sections, basically going through the albums and in between we slip in some of the new ones. Circles is in there, that goes down well, and even the really old ones like Teenage Depression,’’ said Barrie, who says he is looking forward to returning to Swindon as part of the tour. “We have been to Swindon a few times. I remember we played the Oasis,’’ he said.

Eddie and the Hot Rods have made a huge influence on the music scene both here and in America, inspiring many rock bands and musicians in the last 43 years. Their biggest, top 10 hit was Do Anything You Wanna Do.

The musicians were included in the Mojo Top 100 most influential bands and even today many of the musicians they work with are all youngsters.

“It is an honour,’’ said Barrie. “In America we were number 11 in a top 100 influential bands. All the kids seem to think we are a young band.’’

It was Eddie and the Hot Rods who gave the Sex Pistols their first gig opening the for them at the famous Marquee Club in London. As only the punk rockers can they repaid the kindness by smashing up the Hot Rods’ equipment.

“They couldn’t get any work so it came about through my manager and Malcolm McLaren. When they smashed up our equipment young Johnny (Rotten) had a severe telling that that’s not how to behave,’’ said Barrie.

The Hot Rods in the early days were labelled as punk rockers which peeved Barrie a bit as he says the band are and always have been purely a rock band. “I was peeved about it because punk rock was a fashion and we weren’t into spitting. but when we went to America and they classed bands like Blondie as punk rock, so I didn’t mind so much,’’ he said.

The name Eddie was picked out by one of founder members of the Hod Rods, guitarist Dave Higgs. “The hero in America was always called Eddie and it was Chuck Berry’s middle name,’’ said Barrie. “I got fed up with people calling me Eddie, so we made a dummy Eddie and took it everywhere with us, even restaurants,’’ said Barrie.

Eddie and the Hot Rods will be Doing What They Wanna Do at Level 3 on Friday, October 26 at 8pm along with The Strays from Cheltenham and Rotten Aces from Swindon. Tickets are £16.50 from http://level3swindon.com/ - Flicky Harrison