BRITPOP legend John Power has admitted he has nothing but admiration for his loyal Glasgow fans.

"We were first appreciated in Glasgow and north of the border before we were appreciated south of the border – no doubt about it," John explained in his rhythmic Liverpudlian tones.

"I love Glasgow. We have always loved Glasgow. We have always had a great reception in Glasgow," he beamed

"Before Finetime came out, we played King Tut's and places like that – and we had it packed out.

"The Scottish audiences have always been faithful to us and appreciative of the music we have made – and so for that we always felt a kinship there like, you know a relationship," he continued.

For anyone who appreciated the music during the Britpop era, Cast is a band often at the forefront of most playlists. As their frontman, John's voice is up there with the Indie greats and the band's back catalogue provides the proof of their talent.

Formed in 1992 after John gave up his bass guitar with The La's, Cast are now focusing on their 'best of' music with a greatest hits album and tour.

Singles 1995 to 2017 features Alright, Standstorm and Walkaway to name a few, and will provide the setlist for their show at Glasgow's o2 Academy on Thursday, December 20.

"It is odd we never had it out a lot earlier,"John admits.

He added: "It is very important that Cast continue writing and I've got new material that I will be recording next year.

"This is just kind of something to celebrate from 1995 to 2017. It keeps everything moving along and it is kind of like a stepping stone from our last album Kicking Up The Dust.

"Looking at the list of songs, we are playing them all off that album and others. We were in Belfast the other day and we were on for one hour, forty. They had to drag us off like.

"It is a bit of a legacy I suppose when you look at them all listed.

"I don’t walk around with a list of all the hits Ive had or the singles I've released on my nametag to remind me what I have done.

"I don’t really give a s**t half the time because I am too busy working on new material."

It's that classic rock n' roll attitude and passion for music that makes John instantly likeable. He seems the type of guy you could lose hours down the pub with listening to his stories - but although a shimmer of ego exists, he has the talent to back it up.

"We are performing these songs better than we ever did. I genuinely mean that," he said.

He added: "The band are playing in a really great place.The songs feel fresh, everything feels full of life and we are really enjoying being together.

"Our musicianship is kind of right in the pocket. We kind of know each other so well and we have all matured as artists."

At the height of their fame, the guitar band ruled pop culture as the Britpop phenomenon took over. But for John, it is something that he can look back on fondly now that he is out of it.

"Now we have got the beauty of looking back on it, and we can see what a great era of music it was.

"But at the time, we were right in the midst. We never thought it would be any different to that," he said.

He continued: "We were flying and we were full of confidence. We had high opinions of ourselves, if you are in a band, you have got to feel like that.

"It is just so happens that we have actually got a lot of talented things and we kept moving around.

"I suppose now looking back on it we can look back at it fondly. At the time would I say it was the most enjoyable time of my life? Probably not but then you know that is because I was in the midst, I was young, I was tired, I was stressed, I was full of life, I was everything."

At 51, John continues to pen his lyrics to music. He is adamant he is still to produce his greatest music and with his determination, he is bound to give some of his contemporaries including Liam Gallagher and Richard Ashcroft competition as they continue to enjoy their resurgence.

He said: "I think it is time for Cast to make that album, whatever that album is you know.

"Kicking Up The Dust was just a great record and it kind of amalgamated, brought us together and proved we are a band, we are doing an album and all that but I think the next one will be a special record."

He added: "Once you’re an artist you either stick around or there is that period of time where you may be not as successful as you used to be.

"For somebody like myself, there is no other life, there is no other route.

"You can take it you are in for good, you know you made that pact with yourself.

"I am never gonna stop writing songs whether people turn up and listen to them or not.

"I know what it is like to walk into a s**t venue on a Tuesday night and nobody be there. I know what it is like to walk into a venue and it be absolutely rammed.

"They are complete opposites but when you are delivering that song it doesn’t really matter There is only one way to sing a song and that is from the heart like."

Catch Cast on their Greatest Hits tour on December 20 at the o2 Academy in Glasgow.

For tickets https://academymusicgroup.com/o2academyglasgow/events/1169124/cast-greatest-hits-tour-tickets