PINCH yourself, but Blink 182, one of the pioneers of scrappy pop punk, are fast approaching their tenth birthday.

And the lads from the San Diego suburbia are coming to the north west on February 7 to coincide with the release of their sixth, and eponymous, LP.

Love them or loathe them, their tuneful thrash has caught the imagination of teens on both sides of the Atlantic.

It was way back in 1994 when their debut album Cheshire Cat gave young adolescents something to grab hold of - an idea that Busted are cleverly using to their advantage. And following their tried and tested formula, it looks as if the contagious riffs and stripping off during live shows is set to continue.

Band member Mark Hoppus promises: "We're not done with the jokes. Sometimes we'll act like idiots, sometimes we're serious. If I'm infront of a lot people, I'm gonna say something stupid."

Tickets are now on sale, call 0870 190 8000 or 0161 832 1111, or you can book online at www.gigsandtours.com.