Interview: Shakin' Stevens

He said: "I think people will have a bloody good time. We'll be doing some of the hits, but not all of them, mainly because there are just too many to do them all. I was lucky to have had so many hits, but there will be plenty in the show people will recognise. It'll be a lot of fun.

"And I'm really looking forward to playing the Indigo2 as it looks like a great venue. I came down to have a look at it and was very impressed."

It has been quiet on the record front for Shaky since his 1980s heyday, with just a couple of greatest hits packages coming out since the early 1990s. The Indigo2 gig coincides with the UK release of a new album, Now Listen, which he believes will show fans a new style for the "Welsh Elvis".

He said: "This record is a progression for me, a bridge to country-rock, blues and swamp rock. There are some great people playing on there, like Tony Joe White who is a phenomenal guitar player.

"I think people will like it. You have to move on otherwise you just get stuck in a rut doing the same thing year after year."

Shaky, who turned 60 in March, has stayed active on the live circuit over the years, culminating in a well-received set at Glastonbury last June.

"For me I've never been away, so this isn't a comeback," he said. "The album has been a long time coming, which was frustrating, but people who come to the show who remember me from Top of the Pops will be in for a bit of a surprise.

"Playing Glastonbury was an amazing experience. I was worried nobody would turn up because I was on at 11 o'clock in the morning but there was a huge crowd watching when I went on stage.

"It was a mad day, really busy, but I was told afterwards it was the biggest crowd ever for an opening act, which was fabulous."

Glastonbury also gave Shaky the chance to learn the current darlings of the British music scene, Elbow, are closet fans of his.

He said: "Their lead singer told me he wrote to Jim'll Fix It when he was a kid asking to meet me but never got a response. They are a great band so I was quite flattered."

And Shaky still keeps abreast of the latest music trends, including fellow Welsh singer Duffy.

"I really like her," he said. "She has a tremendous voice and I'd love to work with her at some point, especially after the story went round that I was her dad.

"That was a bit weird, actually. Johnny Vaughan started the rumour on his radio show and it just spread like wildfire.

"I basically went along with it as a bit of fun and I'm glad I did because it helped get her album some publicity. But we had to own up eventually.

"There are a few other artists I like, too. The Kings of Leon are a rocking band, but I just like all types of music."

With over 40 years in the industry Shaky has played alongside some of the greatest names in music history.

He said: "I've been doing this since I was 15, starting out at the rugby clubs in south Wales and then the pubs and clubs.

"We were lucky enough to play with the likes of the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Roxy Music back then. Fantastic experiences, they were. Great times.

"I was in a band called the Rocking Denims when I gave up the day job in 1970. We thought we could make it just by coming to London and playing at places like the 2i's, where people like Cliff Richard and the Shadows started.

"So we came up to London, did the gig, got paid our four quid, had some fish and chips and then went back to Cardiff. We still had a long way to go."

Shaky's December 13 show will treat fans to a selection of tracks from the new album as well as plundering his big back catalogue. One song guaranteed to get an airing is his 1985 chart-topper Merry Christmas Everyone.

"I can't not do that one when I do shows in December," he said. "I'd get shot if I didn't sing it but I'm proud of it as a song. It's hard to get a Christmas number one so to have had one is a great achievement."

For tickets visit www.indigo2.co.uk