All bands have to make sacrifices to achieve their goal. But for Ali & the DTs, that sacrifice is more radical than most.

"Over the last three years we played almost a hundred gigs a year," says frontman Ali DeMora. "But this year, because we've been promoting the band's original songs, we've stopped doing lots of blues gigs."

Sharing something of the roots sensibility of Soledad Brothers and Gomez, the DTs began working the circuit with a repertoire drawn from Canned Heat, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Howlin' Wolf, Pete Green and others. But given the wealth of talent in the band, the DTs wanted to push themselves creatively.

"Last summer we decided to write material for an original album," recalls DeMora. "We were playing about three times a week but it didn't leave us much time to write new material, so we cut down on the live gigs."

With a new repertoire arranged, the band moved to the country. "We recorded the album with a mobile studio in a log cabin in Cavan," says Ali. "It turned out alright."

You could say they must be doing something right when E Street Band's Miami Steve Van Vandt turned up to check them out. The garage king was in town with Bruce Springsteen when he heard about the DTs.

"He likes the album," says Ali. "He says he likes our stuff. 'Irish soul', he called it. We said, it's not black soul, it's green soul. We had a laugh."

People who turn out to see Ali & the DTs for the first time are often surprised to see some familiar faces. Most of the band are well-established musicians. Many also work in other line-ups.

"We all have different projects as well," says Ali. "The harmonica player Christian (Volkmann) is in the Sick & Indigent Song Club. Chris (Byrne), the bass-player, has been working with The Infomatics. Salvatore (Urbano) has a finger in many pies. He's the best piano player I've seen."

Apart from fronting the DTs, Ali also turns out for The Revellions.

Originally called Manalishi, after an old Fleetwood Mac song, the DTs came together when guitarist Terry McGuinness teamed up with Ali and guitarist Gerry Power.

"We've been attracting a crowd of diehards," says Ali, who first came to prominence in his father Peter Moore's band. Moore, a legendary blues shouter, turned up for the launch of the DTs album at the Button Factory.

"He supported us that night," says Ali. "He doesn't live in Dublin any more and isn't playing many gigs so a lot of people turned out especially to hear him. It was a great turn-out." - EC

Get the First Layer of Civilisation Off by Ali & the DTs is out now