IT is 25 years since Paul Young first donned his stetson and hit the road with good-time party band Los Pacaminos.

The flamboyant seven-piece who come to Bolton this weekend are completely different to Paul's better known solo career which saw him have a string of hits throughout the Eighties including Love of the Common People and Wherever I Lay My Hat.

His is the first voice we hear on Do They Know It's Christmas and he also appeared at Live Aid.

"That was a day," he recalls with a smile. "From the moment we stepped on stage, we all knew that history was being made."

But Paul admits that the style of music which Los Pacaminos play is very close to his heart.

"It's basically a hybrid of Texan blues and R&B with the musical heritage of the Mexican immigrants coming into play," he said. "It also has an overall feeling of happiness infused with large doses of irony which is something that appealed to me."

Over the years, the band has gained a growing following although there is one part of the world which has yet to enjoy the full-on Los Pacaminos experience.

"We've always wanted to get to America but so far the closest we have got is three country festivals in Europe – one day perhaps," he said.

"But recently we are so hot, every gig is a highlight. Someone told me recently that they pondered for six months before coming to see us and had the best night ever.

"Trouble is, you can't really put into words what it feels like to be a part of a night with this band."

Having spent much of his time as a solo artist - although Paul did front the Q-Tips early in his career - he loves the contrast of being part of a musical ensemble.

"I do like being back in a band again," he said. "The pressure is off me, I can kick back and enjoy other members of the band singing and playing. And even taking me out of the equation, the standard of musicianship is fantastic. There are seven of us altogether and we make a great sound."

But because the genre of music they play is not as well-known as some, the band have to be careful about how much of the set is made up of songs that people will recognise.

Paul said: "We could fill the show with our own material, there is certainly enough. But we are aware that even after 25 years, there are still people discovering us that need a point of reference,

"So we still do other Tex-Mex songs and rearrange well-known songs in a Tex-Mex style."

As well as Los Pacaminos, Paul's own solo career shows no signs of slowing down which means that life can be pretty hectic.

"We have 30 songs recorded for an album, we just need to pick which songs and mix them," he said. "The trouble is, I'm very busy as Paul Young.

"As a solo artist I'm collecting a bunch of recordings I've done over the last 15 to 20 years which when you put them together sounds like a great Paul Young album.

"So what with American tour dates being in the diary for 2018, a solo UK tour in February and Pacaminos dates on my days off, a cruise and some rescheduled European dates, there's plenty to get along with thank you!"

Los Pacaminos, the David Lloyd Club, Bolton, Sunday, December 3. Details from www.seetickets.com