YOU might not think that a song about the director of civil rights group Liberty would prove a popular hit.

But, according to the lead singer of Worcester band The Dastards, the crowds have gone wild for their new single Shami Chakrabarti.

Dan Wakefield said: "We've only played it live once but we went off stage and the crowd started chanting 'Shami, Shami, Shami', so we had to come back."

The song was posted on the band's website in October and is due to be released in the New Year.

Audiences can check it for themselves when the group play Worcester's Marr's Bar on Thursday, December 8. Although he remains tight-lipped about names, Dan revealed the collaboration for the song with a 'top London producer' came about after he heard the band's tunes on their website.

"I had a picture in my head of how it was going to sound but when the producer played it to us, it was different. Then we recorded it and put a bit of ourselves into it, too," he said. It is a testament to the staying power of core band members Dan, from Littleworth, and guitarist Chris Smallwood that they have come this far at all.

The pair, who struck up a friendship as fellow students at Hinckley Performing Arts College, have been through more than 10 drummers in three months.

Dan said: "We were beginning to feel a bit like we were cursed - our last drummer was OK but he stopped turning up for rehearsals. We hardly knew anything about him other than his name. He disappeared one day and never came back."

However, with drummer number 12 on board, The Dastards believe they are ready for the gig circuit.

They describe their sound as 'spacey indie-rock' and have a diverse range of influences, including Bob Dylan, Dire Straits, Interpol and Cooper Temple Clause.

Tickets for Thursday's gig are £3 on the door.