SOME may consider their recent UK resurgence a part of the current Eighties revival, but The Wedding Present have been a permanent fixture in the life of founder member David Gedge, writes the WMN's Jackie Butler.

The band's music has moved with the passing of time and the 1,000 or so gigs they have played around the world, so there is no definitive label to attach beyond the broad definition of indie.

As David and the 2009 incarnation of the group prepare to do some rare Westcountry shows – one of them a benefit for Music Against Domestic Abuse – the singer and guitarist admits to a low boredom threshold and a desire to keep ringing the changes.

"There's a hardcore of fans who have grown up with me over the years, I suppose," he says. "Others have come and gone as we've changed line-ups and sounds – they like some things and they don't others."

He grew up in Leeds, inspired by the new pop hits pouring out of the fledgling Radio 1 and his parents' 7in and 10in singles collection – which included plenty of Beatles.

"I loved all that, but inevitably I started rebelling, blasting out punk rock while my mum was playing The Carpenters. Now I can appreciate what great songs they wrote and we have actually covered a Carpenters' song."

He learned to play keyboard first, then progressed to guitar aged 15 or 16. He was in school bands but didn't take things seriously until a while later.

The Wedding Present were formed with friends David met as a student at Leeds University in the early 1980s. After graduating and without a job, he devoted his attention to music and his ambition to have his music played on radio by his all-time hero John Peel. The band released their debut single, Go Out and Get 'Em Boy in 1985; luckily John loved the record, played it at least 10 times and became quite a champion of the band.

"It was fortunate, but in a way it was obvious because his show was such an influence for me. I listened to it religiously and what he played shaped what we did," says David.

What John Peel played also influenced the record labels and The Wedding Present soon had a deal.

"You don't get amazing advances these days, but we signed to RCA in the 1980s and I was quite embarrassed by the amount of money they handed out," he adds.

Their first album, George Best, was released a couple of years later and the band soon acquired a reputation for bitter-sweet, breathtaking love songs immersed in whirlwind guitars. They made music headlines in 1992 when they released a dozen 7in singles – one per month – equalling Elvis Presley's 35-year record for the most in one year.

Although never a stadium headlining entity, the band have been kept going by David, who has settled back in Britain after several years in California, alongside his other project Cinerama, which he started when his love for guitar music took a hiatus and his passion for film music, from John Barry to Blaxploitation via Ennio Morricone, took priority.

Thankfully his enthusiasm for The Wedding Present has returned and fans dusting off their shoulder pads and ra-ra skirts can rest assured that the tunes they first loved are still intact, alongside the band name that has been remarkably inappropriate.

Although he has had long-term relationships, David has never married, so there have been no real wedding presents in his life.

"It's a bit of an odd name for a group, in retrospect, but once we were established, it was hard to change it," he says. "People do e-mail thinking we're a bridal shop, though."

The Wedding Present play the fifth annual Music Against Domestic Abuse (MADA) gig at Exeter Phoenix on Sunday, June 21. Tickets priced at £14.50 plus booking fee are available online from www.exeterboxoffice.com. The band also perform at the Hippo, Plymouth, on Saturday, June 20 – tickets, priced £12, from 08700 600100 or www.ticketweb.co.uk. Support on both night comes from the Wedding Present's American bass player Terry de Castro making her solo live debut in support of her debut solo album, A Casa Verde.