Ned's Atomic Dustbin's Jonn Penney tells Andrew Cowen why he's enjoying his busman's holiday.

Jonn Penney likes to think of himself as the Peter Parker of rock. By day he's the mild-mannered and accommodating press officer at Wolverhampton's Civic Hall complex, by night he's the frontman of everyone's favourite indie legends, Ned's Atomic Dustbin.

The irony of the situation does not escape Jonn. "I'm right on top of where the adventure goes on," he says. "Occasionally I'll put my metaphorical Lycra on and see it from the other side. I'd do it day-in, day-out, every week if the audience was there, but I have to pay the mortgage.

"I always swore I'd never work in the industry if I wasn't in a band, but here I am."

Ned's Atomic Dustbin have just celebrated 20 years together as a band, with a four-year break the only blip on their CV.

Their annual Christmas shows are the stuff of legend, a chance for fans and band alike to get together and catch up. This year, for the first time, they'll be spreading the festive cheer at Wolverhampton Civic, a bit of a busman's holiday for Jonn.

"It will be a special homecoming show for the Neds," he says. "It's an annual tradition now, a special date in our fans' calendars. Last year we had people from overseas, as far away as Japan. This year it will be special because of the 20th anniversary."

Nearly 20 years ago, a singer, a drummer, a guitarist, a soon-to-depart girl backing vocalist and two, yes two, bass players met up and formed Ned's Atomic Dustbin in Stourbridge.

Part of a scene that included The Wonder Stuff and Pop Will Eat Itself, who could have known those five lads would wind up selling a million albums and leave a dirty great footprint on the Guinness Book of Hit Singles with three Top 20 singles and a number four entry for their debut album God Fodder?

Ned's glory days came to an end in 1995, when, faced with the onslaught of grunge and Britpop they imploded and split.

In 2000 three of the original members: Jonn, Alex and Dan decided to reform the band, recruiting two new members, and the Neds have been playing a handful of shows every year since then. This year Ned's played a triumphant headline set on the Leftfield stage at Glastonbury Festival, heralded by Q Magazine's Glastonbury Daily as "highlight of the day".

This, following Sony/BMG's decision to release a new compilation of the band's best work from the years they were distributed by the biggest label in the world, has brought a whole new generation of fans along for the ride.

In 2006, the band wrote their first new material in 11 years in the shape of Hibernation a new single released on the band's home-made Spitfirepink label.

Life-long fans of the band and co-conspirators of 12:42 Films, Carl Beebee and A J Davies felt that this landmark of the Ned's returning to the studio deserved a documentary and so set about filming the rehearsal and recording of the new song as well as their three live shows in Birmingham and London.

Available online through www.twelve42.com, the result of that filming is a DVD called Ned's Atomic Dustbin: Don't Exist.

Aware of his band's legacy and with a real respect for the fans, Jonn has strong ideas about how to keep Ned's Atomic Dustbin fresh.

"Because we're not a full-time band, these Christmas shows are standalones. We'll only remain a phenomenon if we don't do it too often. Maybe one day we'll release a new album, the next generation of fans will want to hear that.

"We were chuffed to bits with the response we got for the single and its now slotted into our back catalogue and proves we're still relevant.

"For a while people wouldn't admit to owning a Ned's record, but we get our name dropped quite regularly now. The Automatic and Blink 182, I believe, are fans."

Ned's Atomic Dustbin took the common route to success 20 years ago. A couple of independent singles, a deal with a major label and many trips up and down the motorways in the trusty Transit.

They were at their most potent in the couple of years when British rock met club culture, before the unlamented Britpop movement swept most of the innovators away.

Back in the day, gigs were often loss-leaders, a band's income coming mainly from CD sales and merchandise.

Everyone of a certain age will remember the Ned's T-shirts, big, brash in-your-face tribal statements they were. Like the iconic Inspiral Carpets designs of the same era, many are still tucked away in a bottom drawer.

The continuing decline of traditional record labels has actually worked in Ned's favour and Jonn is in an ideal position with his day-job to witness these changes.

"With all the shows coming through Wolverhampton, it's clear that the live scene is incredibly vibrant. It's at a 20-year peak," he says. "These days bands have to go out and gig to make a living. Most people now get their music for free, downloaded from the internet, so this income stream is seriously depleted.

"Playing live is the best way for them to connect with fans and to earn money. It's not enough to simply have a MySpace page.

"The live scene now has a very young feeling with bands keen to earn their spurs. A few years ago, a lot of guitar bands hadn't cut their teeth on the live circuit and would tour for the first time after the debut album was out. The audience wasn't getting the full package. We'll put in a couple of weeks' practice and be back at our tightest best. It's like falling off a bike. I strongly believe that the cream rises to the top."

Naturally, Jonn's not enamoured of the Pop Idol/X Factor cash cow. The high rate of failure for winners and runners up only goes to prove his point that the acts haven't earned their fame.

"The whole ethic of punk and indie has disappeared," he explains. "That attitude's gone now. Indie and punk were an attitude, proof that you could stick your neck out and do your own thing. You could be experimental and successful. Indie is now a genre rather than an ethic and that's a shame."

Don't expect Ned's Atomic Dustbin to show their experimental side on Friday though. There's be no 20 minute suites of jazz noodling or rock operas.

Jonn knows what his fans want and he's only too happy to give it them.

"We'll be playing all our greatest hits and misses. They're what people want to hear. People don't want to hear six or seven new songs and it's our job to play what they want."

Jonn says that, given his time again, there are a few tweaks he'd make to the Ned's career.

"If I was managing us 20 years ago, with hindsight, I'd make more of an effort to break the band overseas, maybe take a bit longer between albums and tour them for longer.

"However, I'm the oldest member of the band and I'm not 40 yet. I don't think of us as being part of the 1990s nostalgia scene. There's plenty of life in the band yet."

Ned's 20th Xmas Bash is at Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, on Friday. Tickets are selling fast so call the box office on 0870 320 7000 or book online at www.wolvevic.co.uk

In what is believed to be a first, the Ned's Atomic Dustbin gig will be streamed live over the internet, allowing access to the show to overseas fans and those too slow off the mark to get a ticket. Two cameras will be set up and the sound will be properly balanced before being piped to a streaming company who will send it to the Civic Hall website and the Neds' own online portal.

Fans can log in, pay £3.50, and see the show in its entirety.

"We're pretty excited about this. We've tried streaming some of our Battle of the Bands heats free and on more basic technology and it's had a good response," says Jonn

"This will take it to the next level. It's a bit of an experiment but if it works we can offer it to any band that plays here." www.nedsatomicdustbin.com