The Scottish rock band only released their debut album, eponymously titled Glasvegas, last September but they've already come to the attention of music critics and fans alike.

Now they're set to start off the new year in the best way possible - headlining the Shockwaves NME tour, travelling the country in what's sure to be a whirlwind of rock and roll excess.

The tour has built up a solid reputation for featuring some great line-ups in year's gone by.

In 2006 it boasted some of that year's cream of the crop, including Maximo Park, Arctic Monkeys, We Are Scientists and Mystery Jets.

Last year's line-up was equally impressive, with The Klaxons and The Automatic sharing headlining duties, when the tour was split in to indie and rock.

Big name bands including Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers and Kaiser Chiefs have also featured in previous line-ups so Glasvegas can be proud to say they are among good company.

This won't be the first time lead singer James Allen has had the NME tour experience - but last year he was in the audience.

'I think the last one (I went to) was when we went to the one Arctic Monkeys played.They did absolutely great those boys. I thought to myself 'well done man, you did great, man.'

The band came together in 2003 back in home city Glasgow and consists of James, on vocals and rhythm guitar, Rab Allan, on lead guitar and backing vocals, Paul Donoghue on bass guitar and backing vocals, and drummer Caroline McKay.

After touring around Scotland from 2003 to 2005 and changing their line-up (following the departure or original drummer Ryan Ross) the band hit the big time in November 2007 when the single Daddy's Gone was voted number two single of the year by NME magazine.

The band got signed up by Columbia in February 2008 and won the prestigious Philip Hall Radar Award at the NME Awards two weeks later.

Their debut album, recorded at Brooklyn Recording Studios in New York, was released in September 2008 to much acclaim.

And now it's clear that James is looking forward to getting out on the road again: 'I'm excited man, yeah,' he explains.

'It was only a year ago I was still on the dole, so I guess it's a sign of the times.'

He adds: 'Everything's moving along quite quickly. Like I say, I was still on the dole when it was the last tour in January.

'I don't really try and think too much about things right now.Everything that happens right now I take by the day.
'I think you have to trust your instincts and be led where the tide is gonna take you. I don't fight against that too much.'

The tour stops off in 17 locations - including Portsmouth on February 19 - so is there any city in particular that James is looking forward to visiting?

'I don't know if it's as simple as having a best for any band,' he says. 'Different cities have got different personalities to them.

'They're all quite wild, but just in different ways. We hadn't played Glasgow for ages; it had been a while up until December since we'd played Glasgow, so it will be nice to be back again so soon.'

And what does he make of the other bands that will be taking the stage alongside Glasvegas?

He says: 'I don't know Florence and the Machine, I don't know their music, I don't know them at all. But we know Friendly Fires, and White Lies have just supported us on the last tour, every night.

'They're great to have as a warm up, and great guys you know. We've ended up having some wild parties with those boys.'

Speaking of wild parties, it seems pretty obvious that there won't be many early nights for those on tour and it's clear James is looking forward to having a good time with his bandmates.

'I think it's safe to say that when there's the four of us in a room, that will always happen,' he adds.

'We always like to push things as far as they can go. That's always been the case, even before we started playing music together. And this time we'll have some new friends!'

And is there any essential item he's not going to be living without on tour?

'I've got a little patch of plastic grass, with some daisies in it,' says James. 'That's usually always with me. I can stick it onto the side of my bunk, and no matter how messed up I get, I'll always know which bunk is mine because it's got the patch of plastic grass with the daisies in it.'


Glasvegas play The Pyramids on Thursday February 19 as part of the Shockwaves NME tour.
Tickets available from nme.com/gigs or NME Ticketline 0871 230 1094.