WITH names like Crabclaw, Bullmoose, Shark, Boysie and Dangerous Dave, King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys sound more like 1940s hoodlums than serious musicians.

But, despite the zany overtones and raucous onstage antics, the British band are accomplished performers with a formidable reputation.

Their unique brand of jazz, swing and rhythm and blues is now selling out venues throughout the country.

Formed in Walsall, near Birmingham, in the early 1980s, the band perform a mixture of self-penned songs and numbers by the likes of Louis Jordan, Big Joe Turner and Buddy Johnson.

When the flamboyant six-piece first got together they couldn't play an instrument between them.

What they lacked in know-how they more made up for in ambition and quickly realised their dream of becoming one of the country's most successful jazz acts.

Emulating The Austin High School Gang, a popular American act of the jazz era, they chose their instruments before learning to play them.

Their onstage antics and wacky appearance have led to accusations of them not being a "proper" jazz band, but there's no denying their popularity.

Famous for having consistently broken all box office records at Ronnie Scott's in Birmingham, the band have a fan club boasting more than 2,500 members. They regularly head the bill at festivals in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oslo, Hanover, Birmingham and Cork.

King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys are at Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham on Saturday at 8pm. Tickets cost £12. Box office: 01329 310600.