TOM Hingley, former lead singer with Manchester favourites The Inspiral carpets, plays The Citadel this Saturday 16 October with his new band The Lovers.

After a hugely successful time with The Inspiral Carpets in the early 90s, Hingley drifted into various solo projects.

A chance encounter inn 2001 with Steve Hanley, former bassist and longest serving musician with The Fall, led the two to join forces in The Lovers.

Gathering together a band that now includes Steve's kid brother and former Fall drummer Paul Hanley, keyboardist Kelly Wood and guitar maestro Jason Brown, the band set out on the road to rock immortality.

The Lovers perform refreshingly different, acerbic garage pop with a raw, funny, world-wise and in-your-face sound. The first album from the band, 'Abba are the enemy' took three years in the making but is suitably polished as you might expect from a band with such pop pedigree.

Tickets for The Citadel cost £7/£5 and are available from the box office on 01744 735436.