Those who are old enough to remember the heady heights of the Britpop era in the 90’s will be no strangers to the band that is visiting Central Station on Monday.

Without showing off about my age too much, I remember playing the first ever Grand Theft Auto game on the Playstation 1 whilst listening to their second album on repeat. That was in 1998 and now, 12 years later and without much of a dent on the UK charts since, The Bluetones are still going strong.

It might not be ‘cool’ to like The Bluetones anymore, but I love them – a guilty pleasure of mine and I really couldn’t care less if the words ‘retro, MOR and nostalgia’ come to light when I mention them!

The Bluetones formed in Hounslow, West London in 1993. Adam Devlin (guitar), Eds Chesters (drums), Scott Morriss (bass) and Mark Morriss (vocals) provided graceful but muscular guitar pop with slightly psychedelic overtones. The band appeared during the waning days of Brit-pop, which guaranteed them a considerable amount of press coverage that helped their debut album rocket to the top of the charts upon its release.

It was in 1994 that the band first started to generate interest and in 1995 they released their first two singles, catapulting them into the top 40. By the autumn of that year, they were being touted as the next big thing in Brit-pop, with their single ‘Slight Return’ rocketing them into the public eye, landing them at no.2 in the charts. A string of chart busting singles and albums followed including their critically acclaimed eponymous fifth album of 2006. Currently The Bluetones have embarked on a massive UK tour to promote their new album.

“A New Athens”, set for release in June 2010, marks the first new Bluetones release since 2006. The band have been busy in the intervening period, having successfully toured their platinum selling “Expecting To Fly” album in late 2008/early 2009 to sell-out audiences as well as releasing solo records and collaborating on other musical ventures, including composing the music for David Walliams’ debut children’s audiobook ‘The Boy In The Dress’ and it’s follow up ‘Mr. Stink’.

This is the bands biggest tour for some time – giving audiences a chance to come and experience The Bluetones at the height of their powers. The show will blend together newer material with already established classic hits from their back catalogue.

Support comes in the shape of Hereford rockers Apples and our local favourites The Maydays.

Tickets: £13 adv Doors: 7.30pm Over 14’s welcome. Tickets available from: Yales Café Bar, Wxm – 01978 358780, seetickets.com, ticketline.co.uk – 0870 444 5556.