KIRK Brandon is in reflective mood as he prepares to bring Spear of Destiny to Darwen next week.

The show at the Library Theatre will include songs from the band’s debut album, Grapes of Wrath, which was released 35 years ago.

Kirk formed Spear of Destiny after the demise of his previous band Theatre of Hate and at a time when post punk bands all appeared to be angry, Spear of Destiny were angrier than most, championing the cause of the underdog and regaling against injustice.

Kirk has lost none of his passion - the band released the album Tontine earlier this year to great critical acclaim - and the live shows remain full of energy.

And unlike some artists who refuse to delve into the back catalogue he has no problem playing songs from the band’s debut release.

“These are the songs that attracted the fans in the first place,” he said. “You have got to recognise that legacy if that’s the word. It’s an anniversary year for Grapes of Wrath so we really have to play that and I’ve not got a problem with that.

“Some of the songs will sound the same, after all that’s people’s memories, but not all will.

“We’ve been playing the album quite a lot recently. It is interesting when you revisit songs after decades. You listen to things and you analyse everything – well I do – and it does make you think. You’ll hear something and wonder ‘why did I do that?’ I hope I knew at the time why I’d some something a certain way but I couldn’t tell you now.

“Those songs were written in that strange period between Theatre of Hate and Spear of Destiny and that’s reflected in some of them.

“At the time everything was happening so damn fast. We were rocketing along and you didn’t have time to consider what you were doing. The pressure at that time was definitely on which didn’t make life easy. It was not an easy job to make that record.

“The good thing is you get the chance to take songs where they need to go today rather than where they went in 1983. I can take them to a place now where this music means so much more.”

Kirk is heading back to Darwen where he has played several times before. He was a member of the ‘supergroup’ Dead Men Walking featuring Mike Peters of the Alarm and Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats who recorded a live album there and he has also played there as a duo with cellist Sam Sansbury.

“It’s quite a challenge when I play with Sam,” he said. “Everything has to be carefully worked out. Sam’s background is with orchestras and initially he started to write out all his musical parts.

“I said ‘I’m not sure you want to do that’ but he insisted until one day he just threw them all on the floor and said what’s the point of this? I just smiled and said ‘welcome to my world’.”

With Spear of Destiny Kirk acknowledges there is a special rapport.

“Spear is a totally different dynamic,” he said. “I’ve been playing with these guys for over 20 years so it works in a very different way.

“It’s hard to describe. You almost have to be part of it to understand it but it is very organic and things change and shift all the time.

“The main thing about it is that you don’t quite know what is going to happen which is what makes it fun and interesting.

“I’ve been very lucky in my life,” he said. “Of course I’ve had some unlucky things happen but it hasn’t stopped me - it’s not killed me so far - and I’ve been able to continue and have, dare I say it?, a career.

“To me it’s a vocation. I think as an artist you have to do what you have to do, and hopefully it’s not therapy and it’s actually art.”

Spear of Destiny, Darwen Library Theatre, Wednesday, September 26. Details from 0844 847 1664 or www.darwenlibrarytheatre.com