Tim Hughes talks to a plucky band who went into the notorious Dragon's Den, and came out smiling.

It was an audacious plan by anyone's standards. Get on a prime time telly programme, attempt to blag a shed load of dosh, and use it to record an album.

But then Hamfatter are not your usual band. Not for them the grind of slogging away on tiny labels, while trying to attract handfuls of fans to their shows. No way. This band have brains. Heck, they met while two of the members were studying music at the city's venerable university.

And so, after six years and three albums — but only very modest success — they took the plunge, and applied to appear on BBC2's hit show Dragons' Den.

And they won — getting the backing of hard-boiled 'dragon' Peter Jones, who invested £75,000 of his own cash to allow the band to write and record their new album, due out next year.

"We had been signed to a really small indie label called Pink Hedgehog, said frontman Eoin O'Mahoney, talking to The Guide while showing the charms of Cambridge to a friend visiting from Austria.

"We were given a few hundred pounds to make a few hundred copies," added the 26-year-old native Dubliner.

"We did lots of gigging and also released a single — Sziget — which did quite well, reaching Number 13 in the indie charts. But we wanted to bring the music to as many people as possible — more than the one or two hundred you get at a gig. We also wanted to reach the people who don't go to gigs by bands they don't know.

"So we decided to go on telly! We just used it as an excuse to play our songs live on prime time television.

"How many people get a chance to do that? I mean, the shows were recorded, but we played the songs live without backing. We certainly didn't expect to win — just pick up a few extra fans."

So what was it like being on the show?

"We went on, played a song, which got edited down to a minute's worth, and asked for 75 grand. However, we hadn't really done our maths, and they proceeded to hack us around for an hour. We were in there for two and-a-half hours all told.

"We got completely battered and had to admit we didn't know much about the business side of things. Then one asked to hear some more songs, which they again edited down. But that's what swung it.

"We didn't just play the best three minutes we had. We had to show we were a proper band."

And was it as hard as he expected?

"I don't know," he laughs. "I don't have a TV so I haven't seen the programme — other than the one we were on. It's not really my kind of thing. But there's obviously an element of pantomime in it. The dragons were clearly all being mean to get the airtime.

"They were ordinary people —quite nice and intelligent, but laying it on for the cameras. Then again, you don't get that rich without being hard-nosed.

"Peter was a nice guy and likes his music. People think he is helping us behind the scenes, but he isn't. He's fun to have a drink with, but we are doing exactly what we did before.

"He's been to a couple of gigs but is completely 'hands-off', and we haven't had to sign away our creative rights. We did ask him to be in our music video though — but he declined. That's the relationship we've got!"

The experience, however, has already turned profitable. New single, The Girl I Love entered at Number Three in the Indie Charts. And, to the lads' joy, it remained in the top five the next week.

And having re-released their third album, What Part Of Hamfatter Do You Not Understand? They are on tour — and on Wednesday, roll into Oxford.

Eoin adds: "We're ecstatic that the single shot straight to Number Three. Now we just want to get out on the road and do what we enjoy the most — playing live in front of a crowd."

Although the band have grabbed attention by turning TV personalities, they are keen to downplay the show's influence.

"I know we will be associated with Dragon's Den for a period of time," he says, "but we're looking forward to putting that behind us — and being known for our songs.

"There's a risk of becoming a novelty band, and we have had negative press because of this, which is strange. The NME gave us a good review for our third album last year, but when we re-released it after Dragon's Den they changed their mind.

"We want reviews to be about our music and the NME are an example of what's annoying about the industry. But the public listen to songs and think 'do I like this or not?'

"If we are putting out good records, and people who didn't know about us like us, that's a good thing. We've been around for six years and are in this for the long haul."

Hamfatter play the Oxford Carling Academy on Wednesday. Tickets are £7. Call 0844 477 2000.