Hot Rod revival

The Seventies rockers, best known for top ten hit, Do Anything You Wanna Do, play the Riga Music Bar, in Westcliff, on Saturday night.

But the band, who still cling on to the past through their only original member, singer Barrie Masters, are also looking further afield, with an east and west coast tour of the United States this summer.

"It's amazing how people over there are still playing our music," said Masters, 51, who helped form the band in Rochford back in 1973.

"They have picked it up from their dads by listening to the music on the internet, on MySpace, which has kept Eddie and the Hot Rods alive in America. The internet makes it a really small world.

"We did some gigs over there a few years ago and are really looking forward to going back again. We played the west coast - out in California - and were getting two or three hundred people at the shows.

"One of the gigs was a non-alcohol event for young kids. An under-21 concert. We didn't know what to expect playing to a load of teenagers, but it was awesome.

"All these kids were going made, wearing their black leather jackets and trying to look like Joey Ramone. They knew all the songs. It was a crazy gig and they even tried to drag me off stage by my legs at one point. I loved it and fed off the energy. It was such a buzz."

Barrie laughs when I suggest that maybe a few of the kids might have been his, the product of seeds sown on long ago tours. That's because Eddie and the Hot Rods have a state side following going back to their Seventies heyday - after supporting New York pioneers of punk, the Ramones.

"People still remember us as we were one of the first bands to play in America with the Ramones, who are still huge today," added Barrie.

"But they are also discovering our new stuff, as well as all the classics, through the websites. There's a big appetite for nostalgia in America and we are lucky to have an audience which appeals to anyone aged 18-60.

"I just can't get enough of it. The Hot Rods have been going 35-years now, but this is the best it's ever been. The current line-up is Eddie and the Hot Rods mark three.

"There's been plenty of magical moments over the past four decades in the band. But what we are doing now is really special. All the band is influenced by different music and I feel lucky to be still doing this, standing in front of it all. I've got no plans to stop."

Barrie, whose well worn features betray a man who has enjoyed living an exhausting rock n' roll lifestyle, may be the boss on stage, but he is brought back crashing down to earth on the building site.

"When we're at work, Barrie is our labourer and we tell him what to do," laughed bass player Dipster, who works on the buildings, along with drummer Simon Bowley, whose uncle Steve Nicol was the band's original drummer. Guitarists Richard Holgarth and Chris Taylor complete the latest incarnation of the Hot Rods.

"It's great being in the band - especially when you start getting e-mail from Argentina and Brazil saying they love your music," said Simon.

"Eddie and the Hot Rods have always had a reputation for being an energetic live band who are well worth watching and we have worked hard to make that continue.

"We've built up a big fan base - gigs where we were getting 50 people a few years ago has turned into 200 - and we are looking to the future, getting back into the studio and recording a new album, which may also be released on vinyl.

"We want to get that out for the new year, when we go on tour with the Boomtown Rats, and give our fans something new to listen too.

"What we love the most is playing around the UK and letting people know we are from the Southend area.

"There's all these big music scenes in Liverpool and Manchester, but this area isn't far behind and has churned out some great music over the past 30 years, probably even more so now. We are proud of that!."

A book, by Steve Crancher, is released this week, Do Anything You Want to Do, published by Desert Island Books, which looks back at the band's career.

But Eddie and the Hot Rods are forward thinkers and busy concentrating on their next generation of fans. "We've been doing work shops in schools, which is very rewarding," added Barrie.

"It's great to give something back and help youngsters learn about music. It's quite funny at the end of the day when their parents turn up because they used to have our records and want to see us"

Find out more about Eddie and the Hot Rods at www.eddieandthehotrods.com

• Eddie and the Hot Rods, Saturday, May 3 Riga Music Bar, Milton Road, Westcliff Tickets: £8 advance.

£10 on the night. 8.30pm 01702 348020