ALL About Eve's Marty Willson-Piper explains how music turns him on.

I had to ask, intrigued after he once remarked: I can never understand how music enters people through the groin.

Luckily, he's all too happy to expand on this theory.

It has to enter my groin via my head and not go straight to my groin, the skilful guitarist muses.

I think for most people, music enters their groin, but for me, listening to records has to be about listening to words.

I can't get excited about records with bad lyrics and it has to be original on the groin front.

Having said that, I'm a big fan of Sly and the Family Stone. No one is running around saying he wrote the best lyrics, but that definitely goes to my groin."

Groins aside, you can see what he means. All About Eve were all about lyrics, as a clutch of well-crafted singles, including the memorable Martha's Harbour, testifies.

They split in 1993 after label MCA dropped them following their fourth album, Ultraviolet.

By that time, Regan was disillusioned with the industry and bowed out, while Piper returned to his roots with Australian band The Church.

Then two years ago, Piper, Regan and bassist Andy Cousins reunited for an acoustic tour, the latter at first reluctant about the prospect of a reunion.

But a string of sell-out dates and a well-received live album, Fairy Light Nights, convinced them otherwise.

Now the band tours in various incarnations, from a three-piece acoustic set which visits Worcester for a second time next month to a fully-blown five piece electric band.

I think the success surprised Julianne and Andy more than me because I always knew Julianne's voice would work really well in an acoustic situation, said Piper.

Although a second live volume is due out later this year, there is no promise of new material.

But as he points out, each member has plenty to do outside All About Eve.

Regan still works by day in a marketing company, but is also one half of Jules et Jim with Belgian Jean-Marc Ledermann.

Piper is enjoying critical success for his new solo album Hanging Out In Heaven and currently polishing the sound of a new Church album.

Cousins, who played with The Mission for a while when All About Eve split, is also a member of the Lucy Nation, signed to Madonna's Maverick label, while drummer Mark Price is now a fully-fledged member of Del Amitri.

So what keeps All About Eve together?

A sense of humour was always the integral part of this band, plus the fact that we are still good mates.

What we are trying to do is keep control of our own situations because of all the aggro with record labels years ago.

That was why we wanted to release the second live volume with a tiny independent label.

I'm really happy with it. At first we were selling on the idea of being a three-piece acoustic trio, then we did the electric five-piece and really opened up and suddenly we were back into the idea of being All About Eve again.

All About Eve plays Huntingdon Hall on Friday, May 11. Call the box office on 01905 611427 for details.