THE South singer Gaz Birtles is a walking, talking, rock and roll adventure story.

He has enjoyed a cuppa with Iggy Pop and toured the world with The Beautiful South.

And when he guested for Boy George’s Culture Club with his own band, The Swinging Laurels, and starred on Top of the Pops with The Fun Boy Three, Gaz enjoyed a tantalising brush with the big time.

The Laurels’ last stand was a tour of Europe with the grandfather of punk Iggy Pop.

“We did 22 gigs in 25 different countries in a month - and Iggy Pop ripped it up at every one,” said Gaz, now the singer for The South (featuring members of the Beautiful South), who head north to Clitheroe in October.

“Iggy’s a legend and he was unbelievable.

“We did a show in a circus tent outside the old German Reichstag in Berlin and Iggy was crawling across the floor singing The Passenger.

“The fans were going crazy.

“Afterwards I said to Iggy: How do you do it? He replied: ‘An hour before every gig I sit in my hotel room and meditate on my own. I go through every song in the set in my head, and then I’m ready because I’ve got the deep karma’.

“He just had that stardust, you know, and was such a nice man too.”

And when Baz founded The Swinging Laurels, snapped up by record giants Warner Brothers, they enjoyed some pop star moments of their own, touring with Boy George’s Culture Club.

“We got so close to making it big with The Laurels – it was the musical equivalent of a goal line clearance in the final minute of a play-off final.

“We just thought ‘We can’t fail here’. Unfortunately, though, there was a change in management at the record company and it was ‘last one in, first one out.’

“And that was us. It was downhill from then on.”

Gaz also supported The Clash with punk drillers The Newmatics at a famous show at Leicester’s De Montfort Hall and played the saxophone for The Beautiful South.

“After every Culture Club gig we were mobbed by girls and we’d spend two hours signing autographs,” he recalled.

“It was incredible to see the pandemonium of that era because Boy George was a world star then.”

He added: “When the Beautiful South started the sound wasn’t good.

“Right from the beginning, if anyone shouted for a Housemartins song, they’d just down tools and walk off.

“Even when their sound evolved, and the Beautiful South started getting hits, Paul Heaton (the singer) was shocked at the success they enjoyed.”

Since Dave Hemingway, the original singer of The South, left the group in 2016, Gaz has moved across to front the band with co-vocalist Alison Wheeler.

They play the songs made famous by The Beautiful South and bring back the full flavour and excitement with the nine-piece live band.

“There is a genuine feeling that people don’t know what we are,” added Gaz.

“I can understand some opinions that we might be a tribute band.

“What we were to The Beautiful South, though, is always like an off-shoot, not an extension.

“I’ve been there since day one though, and I think that lends authenticity.

“I always enjoy it up north because it is a much better vibe than anywhere else, and The Grand is one of the band’s favourite venues.”

The South, featuring members of The Beautiful South, Clitheroe Grand , Saturday, October 6. Details from 01200 421599 or www.thegrandvenue.co.uk