Rocker Tony Wright, the chart-topping songster of the ex-band Terrorvision, is back on the road again with a batch of new tunes - all inspired by his spell as a dry stone waller.

His new outfit, Laika Dog - named after the first dog to be launched into in space - played its first major gig in Sheffield this week.

And the songs he belted out were composed as he built walls on the windswept Pennine moors.

Tony took up dry stone walling after the band folded, and he has been honing his skills around his home in Oldfield and in the Yorkshire Dales. Terrorvision, Bradford's most successful rock band in the last decade, finished on October 4, 2001, with a gig at the city's Pennington.

Tony said: "Terrorvision split up amicably but I have never stopped composing songs.

"I took up walling for something to do and it turned out to be inspirational.

"You'd think you couldn't be further away from music but one of the first people I met - another waller - was a bass player who was in a band with his brother.

"They were struggling to get gigs so I invited them to my house and I went through a few of my songs and we hit it off."

One of their first gigs - a low key affair - was in a club in Tottenham Court Road, London, and later they came to the notice of Sheffield promoter Barney Vernon of Northern Exposure.

"I agreed with their ethos of giving bands who haven't got deals opportunities to show what they can do," said Tony.

"We need such bands for when this pop stuff goes pear-shaped."

Tony has appeared several times on the BBC pop comic quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

The new band includes brothers bassist Paddy and guitarist Sim Morrall from Oakworth and their school pal Mike Parr, also from the Worth Valley, on drums.

"We chose the name Laika Dog after a friend suggested it. I understand Laika is Russian for barker," said Tony.

"I originally wanted to call the band The Great Outdoors, but Laika Dog is better."

They will perform at Liverpool's Cavern tonight, at Garage, in London, tomorrow, Nottingham's Rock City on Sunday, the Union in Blackpool on Saturday, March 22, Rock World, Manchester on March 26 and the Cockpit, in Leeds, on Sunday, March 30.