PAUL Janeway admits he’s not your archetypal frontman.

“If they were going to make them in the factory, I wouldn’t be the guy that’s for sure,” he laughed.

But you underestimate the bespectacled Janeway at our peril.

On stage with St Paul and the Broken Bones, the man who off-stage looks like an accountant, transforms into a force of nature with the energy of James Brown and the voice of Otis Redding. Add into the mix a tight, rocking band complete with horns and you can see why The Rolling Stones asked St Paul and the Broken Bones to support them on some dates in the States in 2015.

Now the band are back in the UK with a date at Manchester’s Ritz venue on Monday.

“For us, the live shows are the calling card,” said Paul. “As long as we get in front of people we will sell records.”

Those records include a debut album Half the City and its follow-up Sea of Noise released last year.

“Thematically it’s fair to say the new record is darker than our first album” said Paul. “Live that means the energy is the same but the show is a little more diverse. The musical palette has been expanded a little bit which is kind of fun for us to explore.”

At times, the live shows resemble a revival meeting which given Paul’s background is perhaps not surprising. Born in Alabama, he grew up in the nonconformist church run by his family.

“I definitely take my performing style from what I saw, there’s no two ways about that,” he said. “But there are influences from other artists too. I can’t halfway do this.

“Every time I finish show I feel like I have been hit by a truck. I have to go into the bus or wherever and lay down and read a book - it’s so demanding, not just physically but also emotionally. “

Paul says working with the Rolling Stones proved a great experience.

“What blew my mind with the Stones was that Mick Jagger could have 60,000 people in the palm of his hand,” he said. “To me that was incredible, that takes so much.

“That band had that many people captivated and it’s not like they’ve got all these crazy visuals, It’s a rock show with bumps and bruises and they are still doing it.

“What I do comes from a very real place. I’m not faking it. As a band we can’t fake it. It shines though when you do.

“Anyway, coming from where we do you have to bring it every night or you’re going to get sussed out.”

Monday’s Manchester date is one of the last of the band’s current European tour. Next up is a tour of Australia but Paul promised the band will return in the summer with festival dates on the cards.

He also revealed one of his key ways of relaxing - watching professional wrestling.

“I’m a huge pro wrestling fan. Music used to be the outlet but now it consumes me.” he said. “Now I’ve got to find an outlet. Wrestling is very nostalgic for me, and I’ve got really deep into it.”

So deep in fact he flew over to Blackpool in between European dates to watch WWE superstars in a show.

“Man, it was the best crowd I’ve ever seen,” he said. “Now I have a new goal for a British audience - I want a crowd like that.”

St Paul and the Broken Bones, Manchester Ritz, Monday, January 30. Details from 0844 477 2000