HE is the frontman in one of Scotland"s most successful hard rock bands, The Almighty, but in recent years Ricky Warwick has been treading a somewhat different path.

Since the turn of the century, Ricky has been developing his craft as a acoustic troubadour, although he is at pains to avoid being lumped in with the likes of James Morrison and James Blunt.

Ricky, who will be playing in Ayrshire at the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine on Sunday, told the Times: 'I still think I rock out just as hard [as with the Almighty]. I may be armed only with an acoustic but I still try to deliver a very entertaining and intense show on every level.' It is the honed down blue-collar set of performers which include Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Woodie Guthrie and Steve Earle, that Ricky proclaims as his inspiration.

And he reckons his solo work is finally getting the same sort of acknowledgement from fans of The Almighty.

'It"s a tricky one obviously a lot of people know me as the frontman with The Almighty - especially in Europe - and I am sure some of them don"t get my solo stuff but I know a lot do,' he told us.

'The crowd is made up of a real cross-section of people, which I think is great, and I have no problem throwing a few Almighty songs into the set.

'But in the last year more and more people are definitely identifying with my solo work. In America most people only know me as solo artist as The Almighty never really toured there much.' Electric or acoustic, that is the question?

'There is nothing more enjoyable for me than plugging my Les Paul in to a Marshall stack and cranking it up. I am involved in a lot of projects where I have the chance still to do that.

'But i have been told on numerous occasions by people that I am the loudest acoustic act they have ever heard.

'I hate whiny singer/songwriters who sit down while playing. I call them the "feel my pain stool brigade".' Ricky pays tribute to his Northern Irish roots with his new album "Belfast Confetti" out now and will be touring for the next few months.

He reckons you can expect an 'intense, passionate, edgy, gritty and humorous' night at the HAC this Sunday, May 10. Head along and find out for yourself.