They've been the archetypal festival-band for over 20 years, scoffed at for being crusties by the music press but have never tired of making music a success from, what started as, a small 'cottage-industry' in deepest Somerset. Ozric Tentacles began life on the tiny prog-psych label Demi-Monde back in the late 80s, releasing the landmark album "Pungent Efflugent" to reasonable critical acclaim.

If I had a quid for every time I heard the swirling guitar-histrionics of "Kickmuck", I'd have enough for a few rounds of beers, certainly. But further detective work reveals that the Ozrics had already cranked out several cassette-only releases for a few years already - no distribution, loads of followers, no overheads = WIN. The follow-up, "Erpland", is a winner that was recently given a 20th-anniversary re-issue earlier this year.

So it came to pass that they would start unleashing CDs (via their Dovetail imprint) and, twenty albums later, don't look like letting up anytime soon. A new tour has been recently announced, suggesting there may be a follow-up to 2009's "The Yumyum Tree" sometime soon.

The jaunt begins in Bristol on the 14th October and continues to Birmingham (15th), Glasgow (19th), Leeds (20th), Manchester (21st), Poole (24th), Liverpool (25th), Margate (27th - rescheduled from the 6th) and Islington (28th). Tickets are priced from £15 - £17.50 plus usual fees.

Having seen them a few times in the past, I can guarantee a powerful and atmospheric evening (with just the merest hint of patchouli in the air).