By Richard Derbyshire

HAMPSHIRE Radio One stars Blaenavon start their biggest UK venue tour this week, including a London date at the legendary Shepherd's Bush Empire on Friday.

It rounds off an astonishing year for lead singer-guitarist Ben Gregory, bassist Frank Wright and drummer Harris McMillan who released their critically acclaimed first album That’s Your Lot in April, days after headlining at The Joiners.

They returned to Southampton again in May to play Common People.

Now the trio from Liss and Liphook are returning to some of Britain’s most famous music cities like Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow and Liverpool, this time with support from hotly-tipped Chester four-piece The Night Cafe. They start with a sold-out show at the iconic Leadmill in Sheffield.

Fans will hear songs like Orthodox Man, Let’s Pray and Prague from their passionately raw and pioneering debut which plots stories from the band’s six year journey together and was recorded with reknown Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian producer Jim Abbiss.

Famous for generating the intricate sound of a four or five piece band, Blaenavon are also known for being able to repeat on stage anything they’ve created the studio.

This month it was revealed that they’ll join The Wombats on 16 dates across America and Canada in January. It’s all a long way from their first gig at Winchester’s Railway Inn in 2011. Blaenavon play The Shepherds Bush Empire on Friday 24 November. Tickets at blaenavon.com.