500 miles and more.

Byline: JADE WRIGHT

IT'S the stomping staple of weddings and student union nights the country over that finally gave one of the hardest working duos in pop their first number one hit.

I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) has become something of an anthem, and the Reid brothers - better known as The Proclaimers - can't wait to play it in what they say is the most musical city in the world.

"We love playing Liverpool," says Charlie, one half of the famously bespectacled partnership. "It's always one of the first dates we schedule in because the crowd is always so good."

And, they'll be playing Sunshine on Leith, their ode to their hometown.

"That always goes down really well in Liverpool," says Charlie. "It's a strong Celtic city. It doesn't feel like England. It's almost half Scottish and half Irish."

After 20 years in the business, The Proclaimers are bigger than ever. In 2007, their number one finally materialised with the novelty version of their most famous song, rerecorded with Peter Kay and Matt Lucas singing alongside in wheelchairs.

"We've been amazed by how popular it's been," admits Charlie. "We're big supporters of Comic Relief and when Peter suggested getting his Phoenix Nights character, Brian Potter, in a wheelchair along with Matt Lucas from Little Britain, and changing the chorus to gonna roll 500 miles, rather than walk 500 miles, we agreed."

Nevertheless, The Proclaimers' profile is at its highest since they famously got their big break on The Tube 20 years ago. They've changed very little along the way - still proudly wearing their crew cuts and heavy-rimmed glasses, although now with seven children between them (Craig with four, Charlie with three).

"We were distinctive in that no-one looked or sounded like us at the time," recalls Craig. "We were straight off the dole queue with our unfashionable specs and old clothes. The record company hadn't expected any huge hits, being satisfied with selling a couple of albums to a specialised market, so they left us to our own devices." Over the next 10 months they performed 145 times in 18 countries. Sunshine On Leith became a million seller, popular throughout Europe and America, platinum in the UK, Canada and New Zealand and triple platinum in Australia.

"I feel a wee bit sorry for today''s musicians in that it has got to the pre-Beatles stage, where acts are told what to be by managers," he says. "Now, the record companies are doing it. They recognised youngsters'' hunger for fame and use it to gain control."

Instead, the band are happy to plough their own furrow. Their summers are spent playing festivals, the winters doing their own gigs.

They are a band pitched in the middle of the road, with an audience to match.

"We get everyone from students to pensioners at the gigs," laughs Charlie."

After the twins finish their UK tour they're all set to head off round Europe and possibly to America, where they have an enormous fanbase.

One thing is for sure - they are enjoying every step along the way.

"Our profile has been raised again so this show should be even better, we can't wait to get back to Liverpool."

* THE Proclaimers play Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on October 28. For more information, see www.liverpoolphil.com or call 0151 709 3789.