Reggae, big beat and drum 'n' bass stars, the Dub Pistols, are marking 20 years in the music business with a gig at the O2 London Academy including guest spots from some famous friends and they will be stopping off in Swindon as part of their UK tour.

The band released their seventh studio album, Crazy Diamonds, to celebrate their anniversary with a host of artists guesting on it, including Beenie Man and Cutty Ranks, reggae star Earl Sixteen, hip hop act Too Many T's, the Ragga Twins, MC Navigator and Lindy Layton.

The band will be playing new tracks from the album and old favourites from their vast back catalogue when they come to Swindon's Level 3 on Saturday, November 25.

Lead singer Barry Ashworth said: "It is our biggest album for guests to date, it is rootsy in places and is a mix of the Pistoleros and the Outlaws. There had always been a bit of the outlaw in classic reggae. We don't have to fit in anymore.''

It has been a pretty eventful year for Barry as he got married in September this year and honeymooned in Marrakech, but now he is back on the road - the band works for 11 months of the year!

"The last 20 years feel like two, the party never stops,'' he said.

It all began with Barry DJ-ing and creating big beat singles such as There's Gonna Be A Riot and Cyclone. He says he never wanted to form a band until he heard The Happy Mondays, which led to him making the album Point Blank and then getting signed to Universal.

"They wanted us to be more like a band so I started writing more,'' said Barry. So the Dub Pistols became dance royalty, playing all over the world including an earth shaking trip to Mexico to record a track for the road movie Y Tu Mama Tabien with Molotov.

"Mexico was insane, pretty cool with bags of Paella and about 100 crazy Mexicans in the studios. There was an earthquake while we were there, a volcano erupting outside, it was exciting,'' said Barry. "It really was all sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.''

Their riders, mainly alcohol, became legendary.

"We would ask for everything from bottles of vodka, beers, wine, cognac. It turned out pretty handy for the wedding,'' laughed Barry. "I don't drink when I'm at home.''

But after riding high the band came down to earth with a crash. "We have a saying in the band: Whatever can possibly go wrong will go wrong,'' said the singer.

Being brought up in South London by a family of Scousers, Barry was not one to quit, and moving with the times the Dub Pistols won a whole new fan base on the summer festival circuit playing at Boomdocks, Glastonbury, and at Bestial.

"We are the most successful unsuccessful band,'' said Barry, who continues to DJ alongside his work with the band. He has his music included on film soundtracks such as Blade 11, Bad Company, Piranha 3D and Mystery Man.

Barry contributed to a through-the-keyhole film about the street artist Banksy.

"He gave me a Banksy original but I am not allowed to have it in the house. It's big and beautiful.''

The singer/songwriter is currently pulling together a documentary about the history of the Dub Pistols, as well as running Westway Records where he is helping a whole new generation of musicians to get started.

"What goes around comes around,'' he said.

The Dub Pistols will be supported by The Tribe, Kioko and SN Dubstation when they come to Swindon. Tickets are £11 from 01793 534238 or visit http://leveliii.co.uk/ - Flicky Harrison