Ben, 25, a talented musician and a co-founder of the band, took his own life in June.

But the band are determined to play on – in his memory.

Their support slot on Saturday, July 11 – opening for reggae superstars The Wailers – should have been one of the greatest nights in the band's career.

Instead, it will be wreathed in sadness as they recall a good, loyal, reliable friend fondly remembered by all.

Ben, who was suffering from psychosis, killed himself on the railway line at Warblington station on June 8.

His good friend Tom Betts, with whom Ben founded the band, said there was never any question of pulling out of the Real Ale And Jazz gig. It will go on in Ben's memory.

"We had been looking forward to it. There was no discussion. We would let people down if we pulled out."

The band played the Real Ale a couple of years ago, supporting M People; supporting The Wailers will be one of their biggest gigs so far, particularly as in recent months they had upped the stakes in performance terms.

"We have sorted ourselves out, wearing suits. Commitment is now the main issue. It is all very well having a fluid jam band, but we were wanting to do it properly."

And Ben was very much part of the plan.

Ben's father Raymond said: "He was very excited about it. He was saying what a great opportunity it was. He was saying 'You must remember Bob Marley and the Wailers, dad!' He was constantly trying to educate me in music.

"Music was the one thing that gave him some focus in life. Academic study didn't really sit comfortably with Ben.

"He was too restless a soul. He thought he would like working with his hands. He did a period of carpentry and joinery. He worked for a company that builds exhibition stands.

"But again his heart was not in it. And then I remember him coming home and saying 'I am going to learn the trombone, I want to play with Tom'. It gave him a direction. It was the only thing that he enjoyed and really worked hard at.

"He did the whole (jazz) course at Chichester College. He mastered the theory. He mastered playing in public."

Ben was a lovely young man with a bright future and everything to look forward to, Raymond added: "He was much loved by his family and many friends in the band and at university and elsewhere.

"It is so sad that his bright future could not prevent the tragic events of June 8. We are all only beginning to come to terms with the loss of a much-loved son, brother and friend."

The band played a gig just a few days after Ben's funeral: "I was the only horn," Tom said. "It just felt empty. Everyone said when we went on stage 'What's wrong? This is not the band...'"

The band haven't yet decided whether or not to replace him: "My feeling is that he will never be replaced.If we get another trombone player, it will not be a replacement," Tom said.

As Raymond explains, Ben had been suffering from psychosis, for which there are a number of known triggers: "There are three known causes.

"One is hereditary, and there is no history of that. The other two causes are stress and cannabis. Those seem to have been the most likely causes.

"It's a sad fact that more than ten people take their lives every day in England and Wales. The majority of those are suffering from mental ill health at the time.

"Mental ill health continues to be stigmatised by society and this can only add to the isolation felt by sufferers.

"The majority of sufferers of psychosis have no family history. Stress and drug use are known to increase the onset of psychosis, and the use of cannabis is also known to increase the risks. It is sadly used by some students to relieve stress."

Adding to the risks is the fact that some of the stronger forms of cannabis available on the street are most certainly not 'carefully-controlled pharmaceutical products', Raymond added.

Anxiousness, suspicion and paranoia are just a few of the symptoms experienced by sufferers.

"And it is unfortunate that the medication used in the treatment of psychosis has a number of unfortunate side effects including weight gain and lethargy, all of which can deter the patient from continuing with treatment," said Raymond.

Ben was an occasional cannabis user; and he certainly suffered stress through his music.

After the jazz course at Chichester College he went on to study jazz at Middlesex University – a course he would have just finished now had he not dropped out 18 months ago.

It was a stressful subject, involving long and demanding hours of practice, often in isolation: "It was a huge challenge," Raymond said.

For Ben the pressures were all the greater at university in that he was "the new kid on the block. Most of the people who were playing had been playing since they were small. Ben started when he was 19."

But he approached it with terrific commitment, as Tom recalls.

"Ben was solid. He was reliable. He always turned up, and he was always practised. He was always there."

And it's in his memory that the band, who have always steered clear of any drugs, will take to the stage on Saturday, July 11.