It's a funny old world when your roadie goes on to outsell your band many times over and become one of the most succesful songwriters of his generation.

But so it was for the Inspiral Carpets, who recruited a certain young Noel Gallagher to lug their gear round at the height of their 'Madchester' fame.

The late 80s and early 90s had seen them make a huge gains with their hammond-fuelled indie alongside the likes of The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays.

Playing an albeit minor role in their success was something the aspiring Oasis songwriter was not going to miss out on. He was quick to make his mark, claiming to be an adept stand-in for any of the band’s members should the need arise. Such self-assurance was to serve him well.

Inspirals frontman Tom Hingley doesn’t seem to have harboured any grudges about such turn of events. He’s little reason to given the strong affections with which his band are still held by their devoted fans.

"Noel was ok, he of course went on to sell loads more than us but good on him. I don’t hear from him really but he came to see us play at the V Festival a few years back and Liam was also at one of our gigs, it was good to see him too," remarked the Oxford-born singer.

He has plenty of work on his plate these days balancing a solo career, sideline project with The Lovers (featuring former Fall members Steve and Paul Hanley) and also with the band which first brought him chart success.

This year’s Return of The Cow Tour proved a nostalgic look back on their career and offered the chance to revisit a back-catalouge of material that has largely stood the test of time.

His solo work strikes a somewhat different tone from his other bands, and it’s this eclectic mix that Tom thrives on.

"These days I am doing much more work as a DJ and solo performer- I did about 8 gigs with the Inspirals compared to 150 with my other work. Being part of a classic old band has enabled me to do that.

"It’s still good fun playing with them and glad we are still doing gigs, as bands that are around now just don’t have that kind of longevity. I think fans are nostalgic about us and not so judgemental. I feel sorry for people like Kaiser Chiefs, who just made a great second album but people have turned on them already, there is such a hunger out there for new music to be put out all the time."

Sure enough, when Tom first started the musical landscape was far removed from the 21st Century digitally-dominated scene of today’s indie contenders.

Rave was fast on its way out of the nation’s dancefloors to be replaced by a strong underground scene. Quircky acts such as The Smiths and maracca waving Bez-enhanced Happy Mondays enjoyed their moment in the limelight.

So the story goes, the Inspirals frontman had moved to Oldham from his native Oxfordshire in his late teens.

But as he’s quick to point out: "Wikipedia has it wrong, I never moved there at all, I was in South Manchester to study an English degree. I thought it would be easier to get into a band there than down where I was from, which was born out by experience.

"Before I joined, the Inspirals were already a great band and had done a couple of John Peel sessions. It’s not always easy being part of a group and you sometimes go through some hard times with it, but it’s not like we were working at B and Q. We did it because it’s what we wanted to do, it’s a vocation, a calling."

The 42 year-old rates their debut, Life, as perhaps being their finest hour as it narrowly avoided the number one album spot back in 1990.

There were some surprisingly incisive lyrical concerns behind their uplifting alternative pop, including lead single This Is How It Feels which addresed domestic violence.

Its follow up was also another chart success, though their third album, Revenge of the Goldfish was criticised for its elaborate production work. This was in stark contrast to their raw early sound which they returned to on what would prove the band’s fourth and final album, Devil Hopping.

Despite recieving favourable reviews and spawning two genuine hits, Saturn Five and I Want You, from the album, their label Mute decided to drop the band.

Rather than limp on under their own steam they called time on their time together. But pressure from fans and perhaps their wallets too led to a reunion tour in 2001 which in turn prompted a timely re-release of their greatest hits. There was even room for a "new, old" single, Come Back Tomorrow which became a minor hit.

"I never know how these things work- we originally recorded that one back in 95, but no-one seemed to like it then, but we went back to it and then it does well years later!"

There has been much talk of new material on the horizon. But as Tom reveals, circumstance appears to be against them as they are scattered around the UK. Keyboard player Clint Boon is now an XFM presenter, their drummer Craig Gill is a DJ like himself and bassist Martyn Walsh has become a music consultant.

However, it seems Tom has lost none of his love of playing live and will be performing an acoustic set at Lounge on the Farm this weekend.

Having recently put out The Lover’s second album, Highlights and plans for new solo material later this year, there’s plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

"I have played Canterbury a few years back which I remember well. It’s going to be a good gig and like it down there in the garden of England. That’ll be a busy night for me as I’m DJ’ing in London straight after that gig."

His Madchester years may be long behind him, but Tom enjoys looking forward to future projects as back to the past which has bestowed him an enduring career