WEIRD and wonderful Huddersfield covers band The Savages will perform a series of short-notice gigs around their hometown this week.

The band will play at Paddock Cricket Club on Friday and at The Royal Oak in Paddock the following day – having already performed shows at The Queen Victoria in Northowram and Marsden Cricket Club in the last week or so.

The Savages have been off the scene for some time due to the absence of founding member singer and guitarist Dave Savage, who has been in Las Vegas for three months recording music and undertaking a magic course.

Dave will only be in the UK a short time, but he and drummer Sledgehammer Stan, bassist Kev and guitarist Adrian were determined not to disappoint fans.

The Savages have been entertaining audiences with their ‘shock and roll’ music since 1991, when Dave was asked to join a local band at a pre-election party.

The band had connections with former Monster Raving Loony party head Screaming Lord Sutch, who had become involved with Sledgehammer Stan in the 1970s, when performing a gig in Holmfirth.

Stan provided a band when Sutch’s musicians let him down and a friendship was born. Meanwhile, Dave started his musical career in The Aristacats and, being a fan of Sutch, began performing some of his tracks as a tribute.

Stan and Dave were brought together and formed The Savages. They are the founding members who remain through a changing line-up, performing the songs of Sutch, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eddie Cochran, The Stray Cats, Little Richard, The Damned and many more.

They have carved out a reputation for unusual and theatrical live shows across the country, from the Channel Islands to Cumbria.

If you want to see what all the fuss is about, catch them in Huddersfield or visit their website at www.myspace.com/thesavagesuk