Toploader have enjoyed their most successful year yet with a series of appearances on Chris Evans's TFI television programme, Templeton Blake.

They've also released their debut album, Onka's Big Moka and played some storming sets at many of the summer festivals.

The album has been camped in the album charts for months now, despite receiving little support from the music press.

"It's quite a weird one," comments guitarist Julian Deane the only member of the band not from Eastbourne. "We've never been a huge band with the music press in Britain. In Europe it's a different story, take Germany for instance.

"Maybe it's our presentation. Perhaps it's seen to be a bit weird that we have fun! Toploader certainly aren't angst-drenched!"

Toploader nod towards both Dodgy and The Small Faces, with a formula of honky-tonk rock, tinged with funky soul-pop.

Their album went 'gold' in the UK within just a few weeks, hardly surprising really with previous singles such as Achilles Heel, Dancing in the Moonlight and Just Hold On all having charted.

Julian comes from Glastonbury, so the band's date at the annual festival was important to him, alhough it was at the V2000 weekend where Toploader had their work cut out. They opened proceedings on the main stage on both days, before heading off to Wembley to support Bon Jovi. In fact, Toploader were the last English band to play under the twin towers performing considerably better than our national football team in their last appearance.

"We feel we've got a hell of a lot better live, it's surprising how quick it's all gelled," Julian said.

"Both the 'V' slots seemed to go well, although Wembley was my favourite."

Well documented though it is, Toploader took their monker from a technique employed for rolling those jazz cigarettes as favoured by many members of the Shadow Cabinet.

It was definitely a good call when you consider the other options being considered Bloodbath or Human Spider!

Relaunched album apart, Toploader's next release is set for early next year, although a mix of Dancing in the Moonlight may well surface in the interim.

"Dancing in the Moonlight has been mixed by Stargate, a Norwegian outfit. To be honest, we don't know if the mix is being released. If it does it's fine by us it'll help to sell a few more albums," Julian added.

It seems that, in the case of Toploader at least, the public are more on the case than the music media.