IT’S set to be their biggest hometown gig of all time.

Band of Skulls make a triumphant return to Southampton on Sunday with a Guildhall date – fresh from a huge year of festivals and touring with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

It’s been a mad few years for alternative rockers Russell Marsden, Emma Richardson and Matt Hayward, who met at art college in Winchester and used to be found putting on band nights at the Talking Heads.

Formerly Fleeing New York, the trio’s name change tied in with their monthly shindig Club Skull.

The feverish response to the band across the globe came after their single I Know What I Am became an iTunes single of the week and they appeared on the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack in 2009.

Their debut album Baby Darling Doll Face Honey was rush-released to meet demand and fans will have the chance to hear the second album Sweet Sour performed live this weekend.

“Every live performance gives you more reassurance that it works. Isle of Wight was almost like a home-town gig for us in the summer, but this means a huge deal to us,” says Russell Marsden, guitarist and vocalist.

“It’s the sort of thing we dreamed about doing when we were kids. I think I saw Reef at Southampton Guildhall and Kula Shaker when I was young. More recently I saw Amy Winehouse there before she got really famous. Thinking back, that was incredible.

“For a long time it felt quite far off for us and this is going to be a sort of celebration for us of everything we’ve done.

“We have lots of friends and family coming and it should be a good atmosphere. It’s the perfect way to end the tour and end the year. We’ll have a great party and then we can have a rest! It will be something special!”