FOR a dead man walking, Kirk Brandon is pretty cheerful about his forthcoming return to Worcester.

Last month, the Spear of Destiny leader lined up at the Marr's Bar with Pete Wylie, Mike Peters and Glen Matlock as part of a unique six-date tour.

The tour's title, Dead Men Walking, turned out to be a fatalistic misnomer, because to enraptured fans the four were anything but condemned.

In fact, the tour was such a success that there's talk of recording an album, with each contributing three or four new songs.

And the autumn will see the Dead Men Walking back on the road again, this time playing in theatres.

"Not exactly rock'n'roll - I think we'll be passing round the Beaujolais," Brandon jokes.

"We found on the last tour there were a lot of jokes, a lot of dialogue, which is better suited to a theatre venue.

"I was the Ernie Wise to Wylie's Eric Morecambe and ended up with a new nickname - The Spaniard. It was a fantastic time. No one slept. I think at one point Wylie lost his mind."

If The Mighty Wah! has lost his marbles, Brandon is firmly focused on the current Spear Of Destiny tour following the release of the band's new album Volunteers.

The first date, in Rhyl, will see Brandon and Peters reunite in the former Alarm lead singer's old stomping ground.

These days, they dip into Brandon's pre-Spear days when he led Theatre of Hate with singles such as Do You Believe In The Westworld.

Although his internet site mentions the infamous 1997 defamation battle with Boy George - in which Brandon unsuccessfully fought George's assertion in his autobiography that the pair had a brief homosexual relationship - he would rather draw a line under it.

"It's irrelevant to me for the moment," he said. "The only place I'd like to see him is in a courtroom."

Spear of Destiny play The Marr's Bar, Worcester, next Thursday, supported by Forest Of Dean punk outfit Judy Speedway. Call 01905 613336 for ticket details.