Introduce yourself Nic Doodson director, founder and tenor in The Magnets. We’re an a cappella band meaning we make all of our music live including the bass and drums without instruments. We prefer to call it V’n’B — or Vocals and Beats.

Sound/influences In our own songs you’d hear something of the 1950’s do-wop groups like The Temptations, The Four Tops or The Persuasions — take that sound and imagine Mark Ronson/William Orbit has mixed the original recordings with some funky beats.

When did it all start? Years ago at UCL when it was a student activity. We imagined we’d leave it at UCL when we graduated, but then we got signed to EMI and our hobby became our job!

Any groupies? Yes, but groupies are not nearly as glamorous as you’d imagine. I think you have to be a certain type of person to become a groupie....

Where do you play? All over. This month it’s been Berlin, Munich, London, Santa Cruz (Tenerife), Edinburgh, Gleneagles, Copenhagen, Canterbury. Lots of AirMiles!

Best moment The time we were stuck behind the stage at Edinburgh Castle with Tom Jones (we were supporting him on tour) because we couldn’t get out of the castle! It was one of the guys birthdays and Tom helped us polish off a bottle of 30yr old scotch.

Any singles/EPs/albums? Giving It All That; Another Place; Kennington Sessions; 6 Mics, No Luggage Song you wish you had written “I Wish It Was Christmas Every Day”...now that’s what I call Royalties. Every year a 6 figure cheque comes through the door! Anything by Marvin Gaye.

If you weren't in The Magnets which band would you want to be in? Ozomatli — it looks like soooo much fun.

What's the band's dream? People like the music. And to play in India. Don’t know why — but would love to.

Fantasy festival line-up Ozomatli, Coldplay, Athlete, Antonio Forccione, Lionel Richie (we actually gigged with him in Manchester — he’s so cool!)

Nightmare line-up

Slipnot

Anything else

www.themagnets.com Find us on Facebook

Nic lives in Earlsfield and tours with The Magnets all over the country, see the website for dates.