The yetis are dead.

How do we know? Because Super Furry Animal Huw 'Bunf' Bunford says so. And he should know, having spent a fair amount of time as one.

Before lovers of mythical Himalayan beasts get too upset, can we say at this point that the yetis in question were not Tibetan ape men, but exotic costumes worn by Huw and fellow members of the seminal Welsh indie band.

"We weren't even going to wear them," says the charismatic - and slightly bonkers - singer/guitarist.

"We wanted someone else to do it, but thought what the heck!"

The yetis were initially designed as a gimmick to get the band recognised during a now famous support slot for Grandaddy. "We needed to 'up the stakes' a bit. We continued wearing the yetis for as long as we could stand the smell," he adds. They then shot themselves on stage with high-powered rifles and blood pellets.

"We were hoping to splatter people in the front row, but instead there was just a stunned, confused silence, and then we got carried off on stretchers."

Welcome to the strange world of the Super Furry Animals - a band so unorthodox they had the sheer Cambrian guts to call their first Welsh language EP Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogery-chwyrndrobwllllantsiliogo-goyocynygofod (In Space) - and told management at Creation records that they would limit the number of Welsh language tracks on their albums to two, only if the label respected the band's wishes not to work on St David's Day.

That was in the early 90s. Now, ten years on, they are about to release their seventh studio album. And to celebrate, they have set off on a tour of suitably bizarre proportions -- which sees them playing venues as diverse as tiny Ullapool in northern Scotland, remote Whitehaven in Cumbria, bustling Coventry and a festival in Newcastle. And on Monday, they arrive in Oxford for a show at Oxford Brookes University Students Union.

Did Huw think the Super Furrys would last this long? "You don't know how long it's going to last, but I knew we were going to be making music for a long time" he says.

"I keep thinking 'there must be something to it other than success', as we have never been really successful.

"I suppose the name is quite strange and unique.

"We have been treating it very professionally," he adds, "but not in a whimsical way, like saying 'I'm in a band, how cool.' We have all been in so many bands."

Though he admits his band have outlived many of their contemporaries from the heyday of Britpop.

"You still find them, but many people have amalgamated into different bands for tax reasons," he says. "We are not a dysfunctional band. We are great friends and respect each other's talents."

And, he recalls, the band have found themselves in some interesting scenarios. "The highlight was when we went to Colombia for a week. We thought it was amazing, because we survived it. We were making a video with a bunch of Wigan football hooligans who had a real culture shock - as did the Colombians."

"We also went to Iceland and nearly died. We got lost in a blizzard and were rescued by a bunch of farmers on snow mobiles - who were laughing at us.

"Both times we were making videos. So the next time we stayed in a studio in West London, wearing yeti costumes."

Huw is looking forward to getting back on the road. "We haven't toured for a year, so it will be great to get back together."

"We like playing live," - especially in his native Wales, he laughs. "They are a lot more drunk - and you get lots of cheeky banter. They get easily out of their heads - it's like playing a festival."

And he says he can't wait to get back to Oxford, adding bizarrely, "I am looking forward to seeing the birthplace of Harry Potter."

"It will be nice to get back to see everyone. But there is one thing I don't understand about Oxford. The students are all supposed to be so brainy, but they still haven't found a way of cheating against Cambridge in the Boat Race. Cheating would make it easier - and much more interesting!"

Super Furry Animals are supported by Brave Captain.

Tickets are £13.50 in advance, and are available to anyone aged 18 and over - student or not. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are available from the OBUSU Box Office on 01865 484750.