AS one half of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, Jim Bob Morrison was part of a remarkable rock and roll circus, playing frantic gigs to audiences around the world.

At the band’s peak in the Nineties their irreverent lyrics, massive sound - and desirable T-shirts gained them cult status.

Now Jim Bob is about to embark on a series of solo shows - his first in four years - and it’s clear that the rock and roll rebel has mellowed with time.

“Occasionally someone will post an old interview on the internet, “ he said, “and I’ll end up looking at it and I’m quite surprised about how angry at everything I was. I’d say some awful things.”

These days, Jim Bob is equally well known as a successful author. His tales of life with the band - Goodnight Jim Bob - is widely regarded as one of the best accounts of life on the road. Now writing as J B Morrison he has published two novels and has just completed a third.

“I think in a creative way I probably see myself more as a writer now,” he said. “I’ve just finished a book and I’ve already started another. I’ve got that urge to keep doing it whereas I haven’t written a song in a couple of years.

“I think my songwriting has suffered as a result of the books because I might think of just a line or sentence and now I think that they would be good for a character in a book whereas before, that could be the start of a song.

“I’m sure I will write other songs in future but going on tour I won’t be playing anything new.

“I didn’t realise how long it has been since I’ve been out on my own. Apart from doing a couple of Carter gigs each year I hadn’t realised that I’d not been on tour for four years or so. Again I think it’s because I’d started writing novels and time passes so quickly when you’re doing that.

“I’m definitely not what you’d call a disciplined writer. I very much take a scatter gun approach to it. There are days when I really get down to it but I write pretty much when the mood takes me.”

Carter USM split in 1997 but a decade later reformed for a series of reunion shows and they have sporadically reunited for the odd show since.

“I think with Carter gigs when we were at our peak we always wanted to put on a good show but didn’t want to compromise so we wouldn’t necessarily play all the songs that people wanted to hear,” said Jim Bob. “Whereas with the reunion gigs it is very much a celebration for everybody, both for the band and the audience.

“Looking at back at the Carter days, it’s almost like it didn’t happen to me. It’s more like a memory of a film or a book I’ve read.”

For the solo dates, Carter songs will feature prominently.

“My plan is to play half Carter songs and half my own solo songs,” said Jim Bob. “There are people who go to see me live who don’t necessarily want to hear Carter songs. They are in a minority, admittedly, but I can’t forget them.

“I have made a list of 57 songs that I will play from and I don’t plan on playing others beyond that, mainly because I don’t know them!

“If I ever ask about songs people would like to hear, invariably they will choose ones they know you’re not going to play. Maybe because it makes them look like a bigger fan than everyone else.

“But if I’m not playing them there is usually a reason and some songs don’t work for a solo performance.”

“I’m looking forward to getting out on the road again. With Carter we didn’t really get to see anything. We tended to travel round the world and just see hotel rooms.

“Now it is more interesting. When we go to places we are able to have a look round.”

Jim Bob with Chris T-T, Deaf Institute, Manchester, Saturday, November 26 (0161 276 9350) and Darwen Library Theatre, Thursday, December 1 (0844 847 1664).