Contestants on TV monster The X Factor are not always easy to recollect. There have been so many over the years. Throw in Pop Idol, Popstars, Fame Academy and Britain's Got Talent and it is often difficult enough just to recall who won what and when, let alone who the runners-up were.

Some of the stars of the genre were never winners at all - Gareth Gates and Darius Danesh spring to mind - other bona fide winners are all too quickly forgotten (Steve Brookstein and Michelle McManus anyone?).

The pattern seems to be the winners that endure are the ones that are any good, Will Young, Girls Aloud maybe, with the remainder memorable for a certain moment or some controversy or maybe their appearance.

A handful are remembered for seeming to already be a well-packaged pop star with a certain look, an attitude, a voice and clear appeal. Fame Academy runner-up Lemar falls into this category, as does 2009 X Factor finalist Jamie 'the one with the Afro' Archer.

Unambiguously nicknamed 'Jamie Afro', Archer was in the over 25s category and was voted out in week 6. If you care about these things at all, he was at the centre of a judges' controversy that centred around his choice of song after Cuban-heeled cube-headed telly emperor Simon Cowell did something someone else didn't like and that definitely wasn't manufactured to boost ratings mid-run.

Better off out of it and with winner Joe McElderry already old news, Jamie Archer has announced a series of dates with his band, the three-piece 'Archer'. The debut single from the band is 'Insanity', which was released in July 2011 [click the image above for a wee preview - Ed]. An album is in the pipeline.

The short autumn tour kicks off at Borderline, London, on 8th September, followed by Wrexham, Birmingham and Manchester before the final date at Mojo in Liverpool on 16th September.

We have tickets available now for all dates, priced just £10 for London and Wrexham gigs and only £8 for the other dates.

September 2011 tour postponed due to injury

Whilst rehearsing for the September tour, drummer (Jamies brother, Stephen) fell and dislocated his wrist. New dates are set to be announced towards the end of the year, with tickets remaining valid for the rescheduled dates.