GRAB your rock 'n' roll shoes and kiss-me-quick hats, current darlings of the alternative rock/nu metal scene Reuben bring their Candyfloss and Rock tour to Poole tonight (August 16).

The band have rolled their trousers up for a summer jaunt around a series of British seaside resorts.

All of which sounds suspiciously like an excuse for a series of jolly seaside holidays, but the band assure us they have business in mind.

They are busy promoting their new single, Moving To Blackwater, which is released today through Xtra Mile Recordings.

The single is taken from their critically-acclaimed debut album Racecar Is Racecar Backwards, which Zane Lowe made his Album Of The Week on Radio 1.

It also reached the top spot in the Chain With No Name chart, and BBC6's New Music Chart and made number six in the Indie chart.

Apart from their obvious commercial success Reuben are also attracting the attentions of the critics: Kerrrang described their album as containing: "Gutsy, passionate rocking from one of the most promising young bands in Britain..."

While Rocksound said "... every song excels thanks to their own particular brand of Foo Fighters-style accessibility, raw metal power and classic songwriting. If this doesn't catapult them into the big time, nothing will."

In a display of rock 'n' roll fearlessness Reuben kicked off their tour on 'unlucky for some' Friday 13 with a gig in Redruth, Cornwall.

Penzance followed and Plymouth, Scarborough, Hastings, Bangor and Brighton are still to come.

Tonight's gig at Mr Kyps in Lower Parkstone is presented in conjunction with the Big Gig and will also feature performances from "special guests" including talented young upstarts No Hope In New Jersey.

The band, who used to be called Marfa Lights, have enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence since signing to Infectious/Atlantic earlier this year.

It all began three years ago when Andy Garratt (guitar,vocals) met Steve Marsden (guitar) in Manchester. They immediately found common ground and after a while bumming around teaching kids to play guitar and talking about Fugazi, Neil Young, The Clash and William Shatner... of course.

They decided to form a band early last year, recruiting Steve's brother Craig on drums and enlisting the help of a local bassist.

The bass player lasted two gigs and the band placed an ad in a weekly rock mag. Enter permanent fourth member Emily Seabroke.

By the summer the band had already attracted the attention of an A+R team and in December a deal was offered.

And that name? Andy explains: "There's a town in New Jersey called Hope. So, technically there is Hope in New Jersey but we've taken a more pessimistic stance.... When you're in a crap house in rainy Manchester with no money, you're going to be pessimistic aren't you?"

Steve agrees and adds his own philosophical stance: "Pessimism is great in that it stops you disappearing up your own backside."

Reuben, No Hope In New Jersey and other guests appear at the Big Gig at Mr Kyps in Lower Parkstone August 16.

Telephone 01202 748945.