Ask your friends – it’s probable that at least one of them will have heard of DD+HSW, if not actually listened to them. They are the sort of band whose reputation goes before them. “David Devant? Aren’t they the ones that grate carrots onto each others’ heads?” (referring to a performance of Ginger, a mildly successful single from WLM). However, if the novelty is the carrot (excuse the pun) then the quality of the songs is surely the stick. You can’t deny that it’s catchy. The words are pissing-yourself funny.

David Devant and his Spirit Wife named themselves after a 1920s magician, who frequently “possessed” singer Vessel at their earlier gigs. Vessel (real name Michael Gorgeson) was never seen without a huge black quiff (a wig), and had a fantastic voice to match. The other band members have daft names too, but it all adds to the charm. There’s the Professor on drums, and the Colonel on bass. Past line-ups have included lead guitarist Foz?, Cocky Young ‘Un and the Ice Man (manager of the Water Rats a few years back), of whom all have left the band since the 1997 WLM tour, only making occasional guest appearances. Foz? was replaced by the Pope (quiet, almost ghost-like with a rather large bald head) for the release of second album Shiney On The Inside. Now he too seems to have disappeared (“He’s on holiday” – Professor) and Major Talent has stepped in to make wibbly noises once more.

It’s rather hard to describe the old Devant gigs unless you went to one. Most fans were initially dragged along by their mates: “You’ll love this, they get you to sing along at the end!” Once bitten, you can never go back. I first saw DD+HSW at the Mean Fiddler (formerly the LA2) back in October 1999, just before the release of Shiney on the Inside. I too was convinced to go by a friend of mine who had seen them at the Water Rats in their heyday. I was promised catchy tunes and amusing lyrics. I was slightly dubious at the time, as the same friend had lent me her copy of Smells Like Nirvana by Weird Al Yankovich (who penned such classics as Eat It and Polka Your Eyes Out). Would this be another pile of novelty rubbish? Well, I was humming Radar all the way home on the Central Line.

Gorgeson has the talent for creating what most record execs dream of: the catchy three-minute pop song. So why did they never make it big? At the height of their success, touring got a little too stressful perhaps. A documentary was shown on Channel 4 in 1999 to coincide with the release of Shiney; covering the last few dates of the WLM spring tour. The closing scenes saw pictures of the wig burning, almost legendary amongst DD+HSW fans these days. After that, life for Devant was never quite the same, and the difficult second album loomed.

Shiney On the Inside was dogged by problems from start to finish. The recording was mainly self-funded, having been dropped from their previous record label. The production quality was nowhere near what it could have been, and the spark and vitality of WLM was missing. The band appear under their real names on the cover, accompanied by surreal drawings done in biro. Shiney is a melancholy album, where even the upbeat songs have mournful lyrics (“Oh it’s a lonely wait for Doomsday” on Space Daddy, re-recorded for single release). However the songwriting talent behind both of the albums cannot be denied.

Devant plan to release an album this summer, containing new material and possibly some rarities. The new songs, presented at the last couple of gigs, are much more upbeat than the sombre Shiney, and recapture the catchiness of WLM without being silly. London is a rolling, simple song that builds into toe-tapping frenzy. Contact is similar to Take a Deep Breath from Shiney, with its strange mix of chords and searing vocals from the Vessel. Then of course there’s Germaine Greer, an ode to the feminist that is probably as close to the infectious pop perfection of Ginger as anything. They’ve also given old B-sides a new lease of life; from the driving bass of Slip It To Me (found on the back of the Ginger single) appearing at the end of more than a few sets, to the old favourite Pimlico. Devant plan to release a rarities album on May 20th, and a 5-track EP will be available at their series of gigs this summer.

Once having a reputation of taking themselves a little too seriously, DD+HSW are now more laid back, at one with themselves, and have got rid of most of the paraphernalia. Go along to one of their gigs nowadays and you’ll be lucky to hear anything off the albums. The armoury of squeaky noises, painters, light shows and magic tricks has gone, but the audience participation and wry sense of humour still remain. Even with little or no publicity (the official website was forced to shut down last year through lack of funding) except word of mouth/fans mailing list, the gigs are always packed out.

There seems to be no place for grated carrots and plastic quiffs in the mainstream. But the fans seem to prefer it that way, happy have their little secret all to themselves. Look out for Devant on the festival circuit this year, tucked away in the back tents. And tell your friends.