YOU can hear the enthusiasm in Marti Pellow's voice as he talks about Wet Wet Wet's forthcoming open air show in Tatton Park later this week.

"These big open air gigs are becoming more common now during the summer in the UK," he said. "We've done a lot of them in Europe where they are really popular, possibly because they have better weather there.

"But Tatton's going to be fantastic."

Friday's show - part of the Concerts by the Lake series - will see thousands of music lovers taking the opportunity to see band who in a career spanning almost 30 years have sold over 15 million records worldwide.

"I think these shows are great day out for the family and especially for a band like Wet Wet Wet," said Marti. "We have such an eclectic audience anyway and a back catalogue that people are familiar with.

"Many in our audience now discovered the band through their parents' record collection.

"We discovered that when we did the recent Big Picture arena tour earlier this year when we'd talk to people after and they'd say they got into the music through their mum and dad or even through Youtube.

"Everybody has got access to music in a different way now and fans can go back and look at what it was like when we you first singing and enjoy the journey with you. That's pretty cool."

Hits such as Sweet Little Mystery, Goodnight Girl and, of course Love is All Around, which topped the charts for 15 weeks, propelled to the Scottish band with the soulful sound to superstardom - by 1995 they were the most popular live act in the country, their concerts even outselling the likes of the Rolling Stones.

And some 20 years later their popularity shows no sign of waning. Earlier this year the Big Picture tour, celebrating their number one album, played to sold out arenas.

"The good thing about a career with longevity is that the fans come along with you and as you grow as an artist it gives the fans something extra and gets them switched on to what you're doing," said Marti.

One thing the recent live shows have shown is that the songs still stand close inspection.

"I think that as long as your music continues to feel real to you it remains relevant," said Marti.

"That doesn't mean you can't approach songs in a different way, especially with lyrics. You start to look at songs differently as your life unfolds. At face value you may take it as a nice pop song but the beauty of a good lyric is that it transcends that and it becomes deeper depending where you're at in your life."

Away from the band, Marti has also forged a successful career as a solo artist and as a stage performer starring in hit musicals such as Evita, the Witches of Eastwick and Jekyll and Hyde.

"This year I've taken time off from musical theatre as I really wanted to focus on writing," he said. "I'd really like to get back into the studio with Wet Wet Wet. We've been writing some new songs and it would be nice to finish an album off just for our own piece of mind and the fanbase deserve it. It will be nice for them to have some new material too

"For some acts the future is in the past and I understand that but we have got some unfinished business as songwriters together."

Marti admits that the band are now in a very fortunate position of being masters of their own destiny.

"When you are coming through, you are running as fast as you can and that's completely fantastic at the time," he said. "But there comes a time when it's about having balance in your life. Without getting too heavy, if the pendulum swings too much one way, you can find it getting a bit silly.

"We now have the luxury of being able to do some living and make choices. We can pick and choose. We can do things we need to do and others just for the love of it. It's all about balance but you'll not get rid of us that easily!"

Wet Wet Wet play Tatton Park on Friday. Details from 0844 888 9991