IT'S time shake off that festive languor and rock and roll your way into the new year.

Pop-rock legends Showaddywaddy arrive at Bolton Albert Halls on January 6 as part of their Lets Rock'n'Roll tour.

On the road since 1973, the band will deliver classic hits and covers from their over 40 year career, at the first show at the Albert halls of 2018.

Ahead of the gig, drummer Romeo Challenger said: "Bolton was always a great gig for for us, fantastic reception from the crowd, and we are looking forward to it.

"The tour has been great, all these tours merge into one really. The tour started in 1973 and has continued ever since.We seem to have found a second wind.

"We are bringing to Bolton what people expect to see from Showaddywaddy, nostalgia, Top of the Pops, lots of colour, lots of hits - we have around 25 hits and we will play the majority of them.

"When it comes to the choice of songs we released an album about 18 months ago and we will be playing three or four from that.

"But we are not one of those bands that become self indulgent and don't play what we are known for."

Formed in Leicester in 1973 as the amalgamation of two local bands Choise and the Golden Hammers, Showaddywaddy played their first gig at the Dreamland Ballroom in Margate on September 1 of the same year.

United by their loved of 50s and 60s rock'n'roll, the eight member band, with two vocalists, two guitarists and two bassists, and two drummers, would go on to sell over 20 million records.

The band's first single "Hey Rock and Roll" released in April 1974 reached number two in the UK Singles Chart, the first of 23 UK top 40 hits and 10 top five hits for the group .

Specialising in covers of rock'n'roll classics, the band had chart smashes with Under the Moon of Love, originally a Curtis Lee hit and the band's only number 1 to date, and Eddie Cochran cover Three Steps to Heaven, which reached number two.

They have also made more than 300 television appearances over their career, including their own festive special Showaddywaddyshow broadcast on the BBC between Christmas and New Year 1980.

Over the mid-80s the band disintegrated with many founding members going on to pursue careers in other fields - of the current line-up only Romeo Challenger and Rod Deas remain from Showaddywaddy's original incarnation.

In 2013 Showaddywaddy celebrated their 40th anniversary launching a UK wide tour and releasing a special 139 track, 10 CD anthology collection featuring their entire catalogue of recorded material as well as remixes and unreleased rarities, alongside the band's only live album to date which had a limited pressing of 1,000 copies only available at gigs.

Next Chapter, Showaddywaddy's latest LP, was released in 2016 and is similarly only available at live gigs and from the band's official Facebook page.

Mr Challenger said 2018 is going to be a big year for the group as they celebrate their 45th anniversary.

He said: "We are in the process of recording tracks for a new album which will hopefully be ready in Autumn."

Speaking about Saturday's gig he added: "We will be doing two hours, a night of Showaddywaddy, and we expect people who came last time to come back because last time it was excellent."

"We want people to get down and come dressed appropriately, and by that I mean 50s if you can.

"It just makes for a great night when we are on stage and see people dressed as 50s and Teddy Boys and Teddy Girls, so make a show of it if you can."

The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £21. To book visit https://www.quaytickets.com/boltonalberthalls/Online/mapSelect.asp or call the box office on 0843 2080500