Chester's biggest export musically speaking is, without a doubt, Mansun.

Their illustrious five-year career commenced with a brace of limited edition releases through their own Sci-Fi Hi-Fi label before joining the Parlophone rosta in 1996 Their EP, One, launched the band as a chart act, writes Kris Peterson.

The rules for chart eligibility have changed somewhat since those days, yet Mansun still have a liking for the EP format. Guitarist and backing vocalist Dominic Chad said: "Some ideas are not necessarily for an album, but they work well on an EP. Our record company see it as 'wasting' songs on EPs, but when we write songs we want to get them out."

Their debut album, the critically acclaimed Attack Of The Grey Lantern, released in 1997, established Mansun as major players and revived the 'concept album' too. Their second album, entitled Six, went down well with the hardcore Mansun fans, but met mixed reviews from the critics. The third album, Little Kix', which came out in August, marked a return of sorts to the more accessible format of Grey Lantern. "Little Kix is an album of songs," Chad said. "Pop songs that stand on their own. Songs are the centrepiece. I think our songwriting is much more sophisticated now. Little Kix goes in a different direction than Six."

A handful of low-key shows excepted, Mansun's only UK appearances this year came at the V2000 festival.

Their first proper tour of the 21st century kicked-off in Cardiff on Monday as part of this year's Radio One Sound City festival. As part of the tour, they drop in at Brookes this Sunday.

"We're really looking forward to the tour," Chad added. "It's the first time we'll be able to really play stuff from Little Kix."