'WE were driving around, trying to find his cottage, lost in the countryside...'

It's a bizarre story, somewhat fitting for Flixton cult icons A Certain Ratio, and is one of a number recounted by frontman Jezz Kerr for a new book - View From The Stage: 50 Years of Glastonbury by the People That Played.

Kerr is typically understated in his recollection of events; unsure of the year (1982, we think), but it is somewhat fitting for a band shrouded in myth and mystery, which all adds to their cult icon status.

The tale unfolds as ACR were waiting to perform their set...

"We didn't actually play," says Jezz. "We were booked to play late, 11pm or something, and there was a band coming from LA.

"They were (Glastonbury founder) Michael Eavis' favourite band, they'd come over.

"They were all sixties hippies, headbands and everything, and they played for an hour extra, so we didn't get to play."

But the band's first thoughts weren't about not playing, they were - as 'typical Mancunians' as Kerr puts it - instead worried about whether they were going to get paid.

"We were driving around, trying to find his cottage, lost in the countryside," he said.

"We were probably being proper Mancunians thinking, 'They're not going to pay us, we've been stitched up here'.

"But then we found his cottage and I remember being in there and he was really apologetic - and we did get paid.

"I'd like to know if he remembers that - and apologise if we were a bit narky."