Grinning Goo Goo Dolls bassist Robby Takac has been going on stage barefoot for years. Except these days he's taken to donning a pair of socks for shows.

"Maybe it's as I've got a bit older and the blood is not running as quickly," quips the founder of the punk-turned- melodic rock act.

"It was a shift one day. I'm fairly clumsy by nature and I need to remove anything I can from the equation, such as shoelaces."

So why not go for slip-ons? "I've been doing it for so long it wouldn't feel right. I don't feel as light on my feet."

That's not to say the band from Buffalo travel light. Their 2007 City Hall visit brought more guitars than aged metallers Motorhead and Saxon combined.

"That comes from being a punk rock band and not really paying a lot of attention to what went on in theory class," says Robby, due at Carling Academy with four variously coloured, specifically tuned basses.

"Basically we found ways to make the things we do sound interesting. It's not just to show off our guitar collection – we would like nothing better than to hang on to one guitar for an entire set. That said it has kept a lot of roadies employed."

Last album Let Love In has made them one of America's hardest working bands.

The tour that takes them to Arundel Gate is their fourth in two years, only a 'best of' collection (second volume out Aug 19) punctuating the gigging mandate.

Then with massive hits such as Slide and the inimitable Iris backing frequent soundtrack contributions to films such as City Of Angels and Transformers, GGD have a bigger reputation than many give them credit for.

Across the Atlantic, Robby and frontman co-founder John Rzeznik have been demoing the first songs in the studio they built on returning to their New York State hometown.

"We're building it in the original space in which we made our first records 20 years ago," says Robby, back after 10 years living in NYC and LA.

They even called in the man who built the original studio along with the likes of Electric Ladyland to refurbish the former convent base.

Once the second largest city in America, Buffalo has gone through some hard times – part of the reason the famous sons decided to put something back.

"We've given the area a bit more flavour," says the bassist, who predicts a new era of creativity for his band.

They've recorded their first song in the new place, Real, as a future single. Like many of their biggest hits, it sees John taking vocal lead.

"John has been writing a lot more of the records for 10 years and his palate has broadened. So for me a lot of it is listening to where he is going and doing something that will fit.

"I don't feel as though the standard rock band format has been wrung out yet – there are still some really cool places to go. I also feel we've stuck to the plan of very early on of prominent melody, guitars, loud drums and been able to survive in some capacity for the past 20 years.