WITH hits like Sweets For My Sweet, Needles and Pins, Don't Throw Your Love Away and When You Walk In The Room, The Searchers have made a big contribution to British music, notching up record sales well in excess of 30 million.We spoke to member Frank Allen ahead of their gig at Burnley.

  • WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GO INTO MUSIC?

As a child I always loved pop music, which initially was Frankie Laine, Johnny Ray and Patti Page. But it was rock and roll which really changed things, Elvis in particular. My most enduring pop moment was hearing Heartbreak Hotel for the first time.

  • WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF HAPPINESS?

The total absence of worry. I am a great worrier so when my mind is free of worry I am relaxed and can enjoy anything. As superficial as it may seem, coming off stage to an ovation knowing that I have handled my part of things, is as immense an experience as I can imagine.

  • WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF HELL?

Anything, even minor, can bring me down, even though I know that the next day it will count as nothing. Having my liberty taken away would be as much of a hell as anything, apart from actual severe physical pain. I'm not good with pain.

  • WHAT'S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER?

There have been a few. Two days at Wembley Stadium in June 1989 playing to 80,000 on each day as part of Cliff Richard's 30th anniversary celebrations. The Royal Variety Show in 1981. And seeing the publication of my first book, Travelling Man: On The Road With The Searchers, which is still in print today.

  • WHAT IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVOURITE SONG AND WHY?

Long Ago And Far Away by Jerome Kern is one of my favourite standards. In rock and pop terms I would probably go for an Elvis B side like I Was The One. It's an impossible choice.

  • WHAT'S THE MOST ROCK 'N' ROLL THING YOU'VE DONE?

The wildest thing I ever did was as a teenager in a semi-pro band when, along with band members, I broke into a ballroom and stole an echo machine. I deeply regret it. It was an appalling and stupid thing to do and I never ever contemplated such a thing again. I dislike dishonesty. But those are the follies of youth. Somehow it didn't seem so ridiculous at the time but the consequences are unthinkable. I've never trashed a hotel room and hate bad behaviour. I did fly to Norway for dinner and home the next day. Is that rock and roll?

  • WHO IS YOUR ALL-TIME HERO?

I don't think I have heroes. My idol would have been Elvis, although the Everly Brothers run a very close second.

  • WHAT'S YOUR GREATEST TALENT?

I'm quite competent at communicating from the stage. It's taken a long time and is still a learning process but on most nights I can believe I'm pretty good at that. I've won two best frontman awards so I must be doing something right.

  • UPON WHOM WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO EXACT REVENGE AND WHY?

I don't want revenge on anyone, although there are a few people who ripped us off in the past and who I would like to give a piece of my mind.

  • WHAT'S YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESSION?

I've long given up coveting material things. I have lots of stuff but if it goes it goes. I have a large guitar collection but I probably won't keep them forever. There are a couple of instruments I treasure - a mid-'50s Hofner Committee guitar and a couple of others from the same period. But I won't lose sleep if they get stolen. I have a very expensive gold watch but, again, if it gets stolen I will immediately put it out of my mind. My house has to be my most treasured possession.

  • WHAT HAVE YOU MOST REGRETTED DOING WHILE DRUNK?

I've made a fool of myself many times when drunk and always regretted it.

  • WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE RECEIVED?

Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday and all is well. But I wish I could take notice of it more and not worry.

  • ANY REGRETS?

So many. Far too many to list. I realised later on how important it was to create and to maintain a high profile so that you would be remembered in years to come and would therefore still be a marketable commodity. We were an important band but could have made a much greater impression on the public and the media.

I also realised we should have taken much more care over our recordings, our singles in particular.

There are many people whose acquaintance I should have cultivated and who I should have watched and learned from. I wish I had been less naive, more outgoing and appreciated the things we were doing and the places we were seeing instead of wishing I was back home all the time.

These days I love the travel more than ever. Hamburg was wasted on me. I would dearly love to have the chance to do that again and this time enjoy it to the full. But, on the whole, it has been a wonderful life and career and I am enjoying it now more than ever.

  • See The Searchers at Burnley Mechanics, on Thursday, November 29. For tickets call 01282 664400.