THE Saw Doctors will be playing Cardiff’s Tramshed on April 17 on their rescheduled tour following lead singer Davy Carton's throat surgery.

Davy underwent a minor throat operation at the end of 2016, and therefore The Saw Doctors were unable to play their 15-date UK Tour which was due to start in Cardiff on Monday, November 28, and continue through until December 17.

Andy Howells recently caught up with Leo Moran of the band to discuss Davy and the rescheduled show.

How is Davy after surgery?

Davy Carton has now fully recovered from his illness before Christmas and has been back at rehearsals with the full Saw Doctors band, singing as strong as ever. Over the course of the last two months, Davy Carton has rehabbed his damaged vocal cords by attending over twenty voice lessons with his Galway voice tutor Michel Durham.

It's over 30 years since The Saw Doctors first appeared on the music scene. What do you think has contributed to the bands enduring success?

We were persistent, we loved it, we had a few songs that resonated with people, we got some lucky breaks, we co-wrote with our very talented friends, we got some great help from numerous people, we enjoyed the travelling, we were comfortable onstage, we were able to make it work in both small and larger venues, we’ve always hired very competent crew, we have a skilled and enthusiastic manager, we’ve eaten well and not drank ourselves to death.

So what can fans expect from the forthcoming Saw Doctors shows?

That’s a good question – I’m not fully sure myself. It takes time to get back and used to making the big racket after four years of smaller gigs – it’s like going from a Honda Civic to a juggernaut; we have to make sure we have control of the big vehicle again and drive it properly.

It's been a few years since the band put out an album - are there any new recordings on the horizon?

When we had to cancel and postpone all the shows at the end of last year in order to give Davy’s throat a chance to heal, the recording had to go on hold as well.

To a first time listener, if you could pick out a Saw Doctors track that defines you as a band, what would it be and why?

I’ve sometimes heard the start of one of our songs on the radio and before recognizing it was us, thinking subconsciously ‘I like the sound of that’ – but I’m not sure why – I suppose everyone who records stuff tries to make sounds they like themselves. ‘N17’ would probably capture the essence of the sound of The Saw Doctors - simple, lively riffs and groove and a big-hearted, good-humoured delivery of slightly more serious lyrics.

Can you remember the first record you bought / and or the artist that you looked up to that made you want to become a musician?

I remember buying Rod Stewart’s version of ‘The First Cut Is The Deepest’ and Abba’s greatest hits before I left primary school then punk coincided with entering secondary school. The Boomtown Rats’ ‘Lookin’ After Number One’ was possibly the first of the new regime I bought that made me feel like – ‘I’d like to do that’

Tickets purchased for all the UK shows are valid for the respective rescheduled gigs in April. A full refund is available from the point of purchase if the 2017 rescheduled dates do not suit ticket holders.