Drifters row band will play

A soul band calling itself The Drifters, which is at the heart of a storm of controversy over the name, has vowed to perform in Cannock this week despite a car crash.

The band, full title The Drifters UK Ltd, is currently in a legal dispute over ownership of the legendary name and a High Court battle is set to take place after writs were served in London. They are due to play the Prince of Wales Centre on Friday.

The accident happened on the M1 at 12.45am yesterday when the band's Chrysler Voyager hit a Skoda Felicia, which had reportedly swerved to avoid a deer in the road, at around 70mph.

Singers, Peter Lamarr, Victor Bynoe, Rohan Turney and Patrick Alan, were taken to hospital. Patrick was kept in for observation due to a head injury.

Their UK agent Mark Lundquist said: "They are due on stage in Northampton on Thursday and Cannock on Friday and the first thing they said to me is they would still be on stage.

"Patrick tells me he's okay and the doctors are just keeping him in for 24-hour observation."

He added: "I'm sure they will sound great but how they will do some of the moves, I don't know."

The Drifters UK Ltd were travelling from a performance in Newcastle.

The Drifters had such hits as Under The Boardwalk and Saturday Night At The Movies.

Richard Kay, manager of the Prince of Wales, said: "I'm delighted The Drifters will still be here. They've been coming for years and are really popular." The theatre agreed the concert could go ahead after being warned it could be dragged into the legal wrangle over the use of the band's name.

The Treadwell family – who have legally controlled The Drifters since 1953 – accuse ex British tour manager Philip Luderman, ex-agent Mark Lundqvist and four musicians of "passing off" a UK group as the real thing.