A NEW live music venue in Dorchester is Ready to Go. The Britpop sounds of Republica will be the first to be heard at Room 38 in the Trinity Club tomorrow night – the town’s newest music venue.

Famous for their late nineties anthems Ready to Go and Drop Dead Gorgeous, Republica reformed after a seven-year hiatus.

Now they are set to release a new album, have toured Europe and have just completed a UK tour.

Front woman Saffron (real name Samantha Sprackling) says she is honoured to be the first act of many planned for the new Dorchester venue, which has capacity for 400 people.

She has a genuine love and sense of enthusiasm for Dorset, with her aunt and uncle once living in Lyme Regis.

Saffron said: “It’s brilliant to be coming back to Dorset to play in a new venue. Last year we played at the Forever Sun festival in Dorchester and there was such a great audience. We’re so excited to come back to the area for this.

“I live in Brighton so I love being by the sea, there’s wonderful countryside in Dorset and we were over the moon with the reception we received last year there.”

Republica have retained a legion of loyal fans who grew up with the band in the late 90s and have also attracted a younger generation who missed out on the Britpop era.

Saffron said: “We’ve got our hardcore fans who come to the gigs and there is a whole new generation of fans, there are a lot of kids who come out to see us.

“There seems to be a lot of people getting into nineties music.”

Having two massive hits which propelled the band onto the global stage is something the band is constantly grateful for, Saffron said.

“Ready to Go was used by the New York Rangers ice hockey team and at a number of sports stadiums and by teams in the US.

“Sunderland FC also used it. Not many people are aware that Drop Dead Gorgeous was the bigger hit in the UK, it was used in the Wes Craven film Scream and we played at the premiere of the film in Hollywood.

“That’s kind of great that one song is still played on the radio almost 20 years later,” she said.

While the band was on hiatus, members went their separate ways and pursued solo projects.

Saffron fitted in a duet with The Cure, went on tour with her friend DJ Carl Cox and worked with dance music producers such as Andy Gray.

She said: “It worked, having the break, because we’ve always carried on being friends. We’re still friends 21 years later.”

Having gained global attention for her music, Saffron is now showcasing her talent on the stage.

She said: “I did drama at college and I’ve been in music for so long. I got asked to appear in a film and it has just gone from there. I’ve filmed a part as a detective sergeant in a British film Looters, Tooters and Sawn Off Shooters, a part in a thriller with Steven Berkoff and a part in a short film called Banana Pearl.”

I end my conversation with Saffron wishing her all the best for the gig.

And if acting takes off for her the same way music has, it’d be advisable to catch Republica while you still can.

Support at the gig will be provided by Summer Drive Home, local musician Chris Kipper Roberts and local DJ Smooky.

For more details on the gig see mmmnicemusic.com