Slade Bak 'Ome to celebrate 50 years with Bilston gig

They are a band synonymous with good times whose energy-packed anthems still rattle with the same electricity as when they were first released.

Tonight marks Slade's 50th anniversary show, held at The Robin 2, the live music venue in Bilston which has become the band's spiritual home over the years.

While the current Slade live experience might miss the inimitable howl of Noddy Holder on lead vocals, it has become a celebration of the band's spirit, which has always been one of its key features.

It certainly takes a lot of spirit for four young Black Country lads to visualise a life of technicolor glam rock in front of them while rehearsing in Bilston.

But listening back to the early recordings, they prove they were hellbent on harnessing the escapist power of music in order to change their lives.

Once the band got its foot in the door, there was no stopping them.

Noddy Holder, Don Powell, Dave Hill and Jim Lea became household names, with songs such as Take Me Bak 'Ome and Mama Weer All Crazee Now taking them to the top of the charts.

However, it wasn't just the music that caught people's attention and sold millions of records. As the band racked up an incredible 17 consecutive top 20 hits, they became notorious for song title mis-spellings, the rock and roll attitude of its stars and a unique sense of fashion.

The greatest example of this is Noddy's famous mirrored top hat, a symbol of the excess and brashness of the times which no one else would dare attempt to pull off.

Dave Hill also indulged with fashion excesses. He favoured silver and gold outfits with massive platform boots.

The band's best-selling single, and last number one, is the festive anthem Merry Xmas Everybody, which has become so attached to this time of year it is hard to imagine going through December without hearing it.

In a way, it is a perfect representation of the band at their peak, an unashamedly joyful song that reaches out to the masses with open arms. Their peak years were such a blaze of glory that it was inevitable that a dip would come and as the world around them changed and punk arrived in the 70s, their popularity began to fade. These are the times when a band's character is truly tested, after the fame and glory, without the energy of youth on their side and drained from years of touring and partying.

It wasn't long before they were back in the hearts and minds of the public, with a performance at Reading Festival in 1980 bringing Slade to a new audience. That would be done again years later when Oasis shouted their appreciation for the band from the rooftops, even covering Cum On Feel The Noize.

Don released his autobiography Look Wot I Dun in 2013 and his childhood home at Bilston was chosen for a visit by fans at a Slade convention in 2015. But tonight is about looking back on the good times and the bad, reliving songs that are part of the Black Country's heritage, the fashion choices that continue to raise eyebrows and the connection Slade have built with their fans over the last five decades.

Nod and Jim no longer play with the band. They have been replaced by John Berry and Mal McNulty.