Guttermen still Number 1

But until a few months ago there were two Gutterbands doing the circuit.

"Confusing? I think it was, to be honest," says founder, now manager Neil Tomlinson, the group's one-time lead singer.

Rather like a panto, members of the group adopt different personas, all spoofs of Seventies idols. He was Gary Gutter until events prompted a name change to Alvin Tardis.

Then there is Roy Wouldn't, Joewaddywaddy, Aladdin Sane and Malice Pooper.

Each makes a startling appearance on stage - from the boot of a Reliant Robin, from an exploding coffin, revolving platform and so on. Quite rightly, they bill it as "The night you'll never forget."

When Neil decided to jack it all in and move into management (as Was Is Management) at the end of 2004 the rest of the group became Beetlejoos, a Rocky Horror tribute show.

Then former drummer Russ Francis (1997-2000) formed his own Gutterband. He says Neil should not have been surprised.

"He phoned me up and asked if I wanted to buy the equipment. I bought the hydraulic glam ramp, power pack and the coffin."

He approached the band's original manager, Alan Wood, who advised them to call themselves the Russ Francis World Famous Gutterband to avoid confusion.

It didn't. Lawyers were consulted. Neil reformed the band with members of Beetlejoos, this time with new boy Neil Hart fronting the group. And there were two Gutterbands on the circuit.

Until, fittingly on April 1, Russ' band held their last gig at Sheffield's Bellhouse Road WMC.

Alan denies it had anything to do with lawyers. "It had run its course," he says. Russ adds: "I'd had 20 years on the road."

Neither side wants to dredge up the past. Neil just says: "I was disappointed."

Drummer David Hayes (alias Malice Pooper) snorts: "It was daft, a tribute group to a tribute group!"

The Gutterband have always been colourful. They were turned down by Opportunity Knocks and New Faces but did appear on the James Whale TV show. There was drama in 1989 when the band were involved in a nasty car smash, which is how David met his wife, who nursed him back to health.

There was more in 1994 when Neil got an electric shock and fell off the stage at Seaton Carew, losing his wig and swallowing his tongue.

A nurse in the audience revived him but he didn't marry her.

When Gary Glitter was found guilty of child abuse in 1999 it led to a big rethink.

Gutter was axed and Alvin Tardis was born, not to be confused with the Alvin Ballrust who had featured earlier.

"We dropped 80 per cent of the Glitter material.

"To be honest it was one of the best things that ever happened, although it didn't seem like that at the time," says Neil.

It's not quite the end of the story.

"We might reform for selected gigs," says Russ.