Legendary Norton St Phillip-based rock band The Stranglers are to play a surprise one-off show in Frome in June.

The band, who are currently in the middle of a sell-out national tour, will make their second visit to the Cheese and Grain venue on Thursday, June 24.

The reason for their appearance is that the following day the Somerset-based act will be making their debut performance at the Glastonbury Festival and this show has been designed as both a warm-up for that concert – and a treat for hardcore fans who may be disappointed not to have already secured tickets for the sell-out Glastonbury Festival.

The Stranglers last visited to the Cheese and Grain for a highly-successful sell out concert in the summer of 2007.

It is a natural venue for them to play with the group basing their activities around the Norton St Phillip area where their management and rehearsal and recording studios are based.

The Stranglers are also very happy to be active in the south west – which they say has become their adopted home.

"Our association in this area is very strong" explained bassist JJ Burnel.

"We record and rehearse in the west country, our management is based down here, our crew is from this area and we've been writing new material in Bath over the winter."

That new material has included a song – Retro Rockets – which became the band's first-ever download only single when it was released on Monday, February 22.

A week later a new compilation album called Decades Apart was released which focused on the band's singles throughout their 30 year recording career including such well known hits as Golden Brown, Always The Sun and Something Better Change alongside more modern material such as Spectre of Love and Unbroken plus two new tracks both of which were recorded locally .

The band's local appeal was very apparent on Monday night when they played to a packed O2 Academy in Bristol in a show that earned rave reviews from many who attended.

Once this gig was over the band were able to confirm their appearance at the Cheese and Grain and tickets went on sale from the usual outlets on Wednesday morning.

The Stranglers aren't the first band to use the Cheese and Grain for their Glastonbury warm up – the same thing happened with the Editors who play at the venue in 2008 before a triumphant show the following day in the Glastonbury fields.

For locally-based rock fans, this latest high profile concert will once again prove that the Frome venue is getting even more noticed on the national scene.

And in June they can certainly expect to see a band who are at the top of their game – and enjoying something of a renaissance with rock fans.

"I think many people can appreciate that despite having been vilified, censored and banned over the years, The Stranglers are still one of the most genuine and creative bands around, '' enthused JJ .

"Despite all the critics that we have had in the past, we're still here –- and we're still strong."

Sam Holliday