Little Comets to play The Adelphi

You know you've made it when they're playing your song in Kev's garage on Corrie.

"I know, it's mad isn't?" says Robbie Coles, singer with good-time Geordie foursome The Little Comets.

"You kinda know when something's happening because all your phones start going at once. Last night, we suddenly started getting tons of texts and calls telling us they were playing us on Coronation Street.

"I think we've even got my mam's seal of approval now we've been on Corrie."

So, has being featured on the nation's favourite soap stopped calls from The Comets' parents for the band to go and get "proper jobs"?

"No, not yet," laughs Robbie. "I think we'd need the treble for that. We'd have to be on Emmerdale and Eastenders too. We'd have to be played in Ian Beale's cafe before my mam stops telling me to get a proper job."

2009 has been an important year for The Little Comets.

They've secured a major record deal, impressed a bunch of influential Radio One DJs, recorded their debut album in France, scored a Top 40 hit with their catchy, Calypso-tinged track One Night In October and taken their first steps towards mass appeal with some barnstorming performances on the summer festival circuit.

Now, as they prepare to see out the old year and eagerly await the next, the quartet are about to set out on one final 10-date UK tour to sign-off on a highly satisfactory 12-months.

The tour will arrive at Hull's Adelphi, De Grey Street, Hull, on Tuesday, December 15.

Of course, this being The Little Comets, nothing is ever plain-sailing. When we speak, the band, who once claimed that their tour van was possessed, are having mechanical problems somewhere on the M1.

"We're just waiting for the AA," sighs Robbie. "I think we've put too much oil in the engine. To be fair, it's never the van's fault, it's always something stupid we've done to it. But we're supposed to be in London for a charity gig with Jo Whiley in a few hours so we're all quite stressed at the moment."

Anyone who has seen The Little Comets live will know it takes a lot to stress out this bunch of North Eastern likely lads.

This is a band which has built a reputation on playing guerrilla gigs on buses, Tube trains, university lecture halls and, most recently, in the confectionery department of Marks & Spencer, in Newcastle.

The stores security guards saw the funny side when several hundred fans descended on the aisles to hear the band play an impromptu acoustic set – but the police were slightly less forgiving, says Robbie.

"They weren't right happy," smiles Robbie. "But we just played daft like we didn't know we weren't supposed to play gigs in Marks & Spencer's bakery section and they let us off. We didn't expect so many people to come along – but when someone mentioned it on Radio One – hundreds of people turned up."

Looking forward to 2010, Robbie and co are looking forward to releasing their first album and have set their sights on a Glastonbury performance – but for the moment they're concentrating on the live dates ahead.

"We wanted to come back to Hull because the last time we played there, there were about 20 kids down at the front going absolutely mad. They were really up for it and we love it when we get that sort of reaction."

Little Comets play The Adelphi, De Grey Street, Hull, on Tuesday, December 15, 7.30pm. Entry costs £5.

For more information call (01482) 348216.