MEMBERS of Gary Glitter's former band are defending their right to continue playing his hits.

Phil Popplewell, guitarist with glam rockers the Glitter Band, has told how they have been shunned by promoters since the sex scandals involving their disgraced former frontman.

Phil, from Burnage, says when some promoters and venues hear the 'G' word the band are given the cold shoulder.

On one occasion, the band- who could fill stadiums at the height of their fame - were turned down for a gig at a town hall. And Phil, 38, say it's all down to one man - the much-reviled Mr Glitter, aka Paul Gadd.

The fallen rock star is currently in Vietnam facing charges of having sex with under-age girls. He could face up to 12 years in jail, and possibly a firing squad.

Phil, of Brookdene Road, said: "The fans like the songs and just listen to them as songs without associating them with Gary Glitter, but everyone's work has been affected and everybody has been tarred with the same brush.

"The Glitter Band will continue providing we get the work. Some promoters can be really funny about it though. They don't want to be associated with Gary Glitter. In the past we've had quite a few refusals for promotions and gigs."

Phil, 38, of Brookdene Road, has been playing with the Glitter Band, on and off, since 1996. As well as playing guitar, he also provides backing vocals and harmonies for the glam-rock outfit and two local bands.

The band is led by original 'glitteratis' John Rossall and saxophonist Harvey Ellison, who are still belting out classic Glitter tracks such as Leader and Rock and Roll, songs instantly identifiable with the fallen rock star.

John, now in his 50s and living in Manchester, said: "Gary's behaviour devastated us for a bit, but now it seems to be coming back together for us again. People still love the music, they just don't like what he's done.

"It was just as much our heritage as his. When he does something like that it is bound to affect my living."

He added: "As far as we are concerned Gary Glitter was just a character, an actor - it's Paul Gadd who has done these terrible things. When I think to myself that I shared a stage with that man, not knowing what he was all about, makes me sick to the stomach. I could get along with the arrogance but this other stuff with kids is absolutely vile. I haven't spoken to him for 25 years. We didn't get on very well; he was an arrogant prima donna. But I'm still proud of our records - and I don't see why I should rewrite history by changing our name."

John says the lowest point for the band was when they were turned down for a gig at Middleton Town Hall.

He said: "We'd played all over Europe and the UK, yet we couldn't get a gig at a town hall for heaven's sake. They were just small-minded people who thought that we knew what Glitter was doing. They even thought we might have been involved in it! We were basically guilty by association."

The band has released 19 albums to date and often appear at Pontins' and Butlins' 70s festivals. Since forming in 1965 as the Boston Show Band, the group's career has been a rollercoast ride of legal wranglings and court cases.

Nine years ago, the band were taken to the High Court by Gerry Shephard and Pete Phipps, two of the original band members band, who, prompted by Glitter, were trying to stop them using the Glitter name.

However, the judge threw out the case and the band won the right to call themselves the Glitter Band. Unfortunately, the High Court decision was made just two weeks before the Glitter scandals first broke.

"That was pretty unfortunate," said John. "I was still recovering from the celebratory hangover when all that happened."

Since the band split up there have been two Glitter bands - one led by Rossall and Ellison, the other by former guitarist Shephard and Phipps, the band's drummer.

Shephard died about a year ago but Phipps teamed up with another set of musicians who are still performing as the Glitter Band. Since the very public falling-out in 1997, the three original members appear to have buried the hatchet, although there are still two distinct bands.