The nine-piece band changed their name to The New BBs after a line-up change a couple of years ago but, after two decades of gigging, there is no sign of them slowing down.

In the late 1980s the covers band were the ones to go and see at The Ravenswood in Sharpthorne, alongside recent comeback king Fast Freddie.

They have rarely been away from the venue and at the end of March they will play again.

Bass player and manager, Dave Baxter, said: "We've been together for 20 years at the end of this year and we have near enough never been away from The Ravenswood.

"A lot of people know who we are in the area and we have enough people
to fill up the venue three times over.

"It has a capacity of about 250 people which we fill and we have around
1,000 people who regularly visit over a period of time. It's one of the best venues for gigging in the area."

And the band are well known, not only in Sussex but nationwide. In the
mid-1990s they played over two weekends at Richard Branson's Virgin parties in front of a collective audience of around 20,000 people.

More recently they were invited to play at the post-show party of the
BBC Sports Personality of the Year, which they did in 2004 and 2005.

Dave added: "We are the only band to be ever asked to do that and to be
asked back the following year is great.

He said: "We've also played gigs at Durham Castle and in Cornwall. We
play gigs anywhere we can really."

Dave was raised in Crawley, but moved to Horsham several years ago.

Despite several lineup changes they are as keen as ever.

He said: "A few left the band a couple of years ago but we have a solid
line-up now. Once you're in the band you're in it and everyone is very
dedicated.

"We don't have to see when people are available to play, everyone turns up week in week out.

"Rehearsal is still very important for us and we use a studio in Pease
Pottage which is good as it is cheap."

Of course with Fast Freddie's return to The Hawth in July, The New BBs are not missing a trick by playing the venue at an outside festival in August.

He said: "We are playing The Hawth, which we have done a lot over the years, and it's outside so it should be great.

"I don't think we ever played with Fred on the same bill but it was us and The Fingertips at the time who were the main bands."

Dave also admits he is happy that the band didn't start trying to
write their own music and go for making it big.

"We are a covers band and we didn't want to stretch ourselves too far.

"We are good at what we do and I'm a family man so it's a big jump to do that.

"We have been going for 20 years and I'm still enjoying it, that is what
really matters."

The bands current line-up looks like this Mikey Bo (drums), Dave Baxter
(bass), Ashley Davies (guitar), Thuy Mallalieu (keys), Ben Tompsett (altosax), Sandie Tompsett (tenor/baritone sax), Stuart Beck (trumpet),
Jake Yeboah (vocals), and Stephanie Yeboah (vocals).