HE may be best known for his role in rock sextet The Phantom Band, but Rick Anthony's solo music couldn't be more different.

The singer from the Glasgow-based band, Rick launched his first solo single in June under the alias Rick Redbeard.

And he will perform the stripped-back sound at Paisley Arts Centre as part of the town's Underground event alongside Wounded Knee on Friday at 7pm.

Rick said: "I try to keep it as different as possible from The Phantom Band because obviously they were a fairly large group of people to have on stage so it is often very crammed and very loud and a really good experience but in a different way.

"So this one I am trying to keep it as opposite on the spectrum as I can.

"I think at some point I might like to play with people but just now I quite enjoy the streamlined nature of it, how completely stripped back it is.

"You don't have to worry about the set up, you can just go and play.

"The enjoyable aspects of playing in The Phantom Band are the noise and the volume you can get and the mix of stuff that goes on, but with my stuff, the enjoyment I get is when it is very quiet and sometimes just a voice or a voice and the guitar, it is different kind of experience.

"They are completely different but, when they both work as well as they can do, I get a similar kind of feeling, but it is probably quite different for people watching.

"But I get the feeling of being lost in the moment and you can forget what's going on around you – you are just in the music and enjoying the moment of playing."

Born in Aberdeen, the 33-year-old moved to Glasgow about 10 years ago where he began performing with Duncan Marquiss, Gerry Hart, Andy Wake, Iain Stewart and Greg Sinclair as The Phantom Band.

In June he bought out his first solo single, Now We Are Dancing, a split record with Adam Stafford, and is currently putting the finishing touches to his debut album which should be released soon.

Now Rick juggles performing with the band with his solo career, but he insists he has no problem switching between the two styles.

"It is a different space, you get your head in a different space. Because there is six people doing The Phantom Band it is pretty easy to go in and switch into that mode.

"It is a different style of writing as well and a different way of writing."

After working on solo stuff for a few years, Rick decided to go it alone officially and released the single.

He chose the name 'Rick Redbeard' in around 2006 when he needed a performance name.

He said: "I liked the connotations of the pirate theme and my beard is red so it is also factual.

"It is slightly more memorable than Rick Anthony or whatever else my name could be."

Rick will be playing the new single as well as songs from the album he has been working on and some new songs at Paisley Underground.

n Reid Kerr College student band, Deerhound, will support Rick Redbeard and Wounded Knee, at the show. Tickets are £5, to buy, call 0141 887 1010 or visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/onlinebooking