Things have really taken off for him since January and he reckons there are a few surprises in store for fans at his gigs in June and July.

He's already got a new band together, which includes Van Morrison's former drummer Geoff Dunn, and according to the cheeky front man, the groupies have already started to return.

He said: "The groupies are back there outside the door every morning, the only thing is that they have a bit more blue rinse in their hair these days. I could have a few surprises in store for people at the
Hawth, it all just depends if I'm allowed to do it.

"There is a video of one of my old gigs on YouTube at the moment where I'm surfing the crowd on a surf board, but I'm not allowed to do that at the Hawth because of health and safety.

"However my manager is thinking of sending me to Hawaii to practice hitting the waves out there."

Crawley lad Fred became famous in the 1980s with his band Fast Freddie and the Fingertips and ended up supporting Cher at Wembley in 1990, before retiring to Dorset towards the end of the decade.

At the start of the year he announced his comeback with two dates scheduled at the Hawth and The Ravenswood in Sharpthorne.

He said: "The band has had a couple of get togethers and I've written a couple of new songs, the problem is there is so much material, it's hard to know what to play and not to play.

"We have recruited Geoff Dunn who was drummer with Van Morrison for seven years, and backing singer Melanie's back with us.

"I think The Ravenswood is the gig venue fans all loved, we used to do every fortnight and it was like a proper club night."

But Freddie's return has also seen him venturing into other areas. He's writing for a Supremes-esque girlband called the Humming Birds and you could even see Fast Freddie – the cartoon.

He said: "We would like it to be a Simpson-esque thing of me based down in Dorset with my parents who own a Dohnut/Ice-cream factory. That would fit in with the flip-flop song and my old band The Dohnuts.

"We will have to wait on that one because it depends on production costs."

Fast Freddie will play the Ravenswood on Thursday, June 16. For information on tickets email Acoustic Sussex on martin@acousticsussex.org.uk

His gig at the Hawth is on Wednesday, July 23. Tickets are available online at www.hawth.co.uk or via the box office on (01293) 553636.