Indie band The June Brides back in Shrewsbury after 30 years

Now they've reformed and are set to play Shrewsbury for the first time in 30 years.

Although their heyday was back in the mid-1980s, their music is still played regularly today on BBC Radio 6 Music.

They supported The Smiths on tour, and Morrissey is a big fan of their particular brand of indie pop. The legendary DJ John Peel was also an admirer.

An appearance on the 1990s TV show The Word is one of the things they will be able to tell their grandchildren about – as is the moment they made the cover of the NME.

The June Brides are a band with strong Shrewsbury connections – and in April they'll be back on stage in the county town for the first time in 30 years.

With two of their original members hailing from the county town, they played The Fridge, a popular town venue of the era, in 1984, and on May 10, 1986, they played Shrewsbury Music Hall.

The two Shrewsbury lads in the line-up in the eighties were guitarist Simon Beesley and bassist Adrian 'Ace' Carter. Simon will be back in the line-up when they play The Lion Hotel Ballroom on April 9.

The man responsible for the band returning to play in Shrewsbury is 65-year-old Shropshire DJ, promoter and huge music enthusiast Dave Thomas, the very same man who staged the band at The Fridge back in the eighties.

Dave said: "Back in the day, I'd DJ all night into the early hours. I worked at all the Shrewsbury venues: the Oak Hotel, The Fridge, the Jazz and Roots Club at the Buttermarket, Park Lane. And I've put on quite a few bands over the years – including The June Brides at The Fridge.

"We just thought it would be great to have The June Brides back in town."

Dave and his good friend, fellow Shrewsbury music enthusiast Steve 'Merc' Merchant, who was in charge of tickets, posters and promotion, have together persuaded The June Brides to play the Lion Hotel.

As to the band's decision to reform in the first place Phil Wilson, vocals and guitar, said: "I formed a band a few years ago with Andy Fonda on drums and Arash Torabi on bass. We played a few gigs as a trio, but then two of the original June Brides, Frank Sweeney and Jon Hunter, decided to join us for the odd concert. I continued to call the band after myself, just to make the point that it was a new start, and I didn't want to cash in on The June Brides name.

"However, when we were asked to play a one-off concert, to recreate Alan McGee's famous venue, the Living Room club, I asked our old guitarist Simon Beesley to play with us. From there on in, it seemed a bit foolish to resist referring to it as The June Brides any longer."

Although influenced by bands like The Buzzcocks The June Brides had, and have, a sound of their own thanks to having trumpet player Jon Hunter and viola player Frank Sweeney in their line-up.

In their heyday their singles – In The Rain and Every Conversation – attracted critical acclaim.

The June Brides had a small army of loyal fans and the group influenced many fellow musicians – Belle and Sebastian and Manic Street Preachers among them.

They will be bringing back a lot of happy memories when they play the Lion Hotel on April 9.

Tickets for the gig, priced £13, are available from the Left For Dead record shop, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury; Outwhere Vinyl, Beatrice Street, Oswestry, and the Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury.