Darius Campbell is a lucky man. Despite suffering a broken neck in an accident less than two months ago, he is back preparing to tour with his latest show The History of the Big Bands, which calls in at The Alban Arena this weekend.

When the Porsche he was travelling in skidded into a wall at 70mph after hitting an oil spill, Darius got out of the car, seemingly unhurt. He then felt a sharp pain in his neck and collapsed shortly afterwards, following a trauma compression injury. He learned later his third vertebra was cracked down the middle and he could easily have been left paralysed or been killed.

“I’m just focusing on getting better,” says the 30-year-old singer. “I’ve been wearing a neck brace and have physiotherapy every day. I’ve also had alternative treatments such as acupuncture, which has given me the best chance of getting well.

“The healing is going so well my doctor has been quite surprised as not only has it healed completely but I’ve healed faster than any other patients he’s had, which I put down to using complimentary treatments.

“It’s amazing I survived and walked away. I’m incredibly grateful I’ve got my hands, legs and my singing voice.”

Darius (formerly known as Darius Danesh) shot to fame in the first series of Pop Idol, but was pipped to the post by Gareth Gates and Will Young. It did his career as a singer songwriter no harm however, as earlier this year he was crowned the winner of ITV’s Popstar To Operastar.

I for one was gutted when Darius didn’t win Pop Idol. He was clearly very talented. Does he feels vindicated now?

“It was not so much being vindicated as that’s not in my vocabulary. It’s not about trying to get a deal or prove myself. The chance to train my voice with Rolando Villazon, who is arguably the best tenor in the world and certainly of his generation, there’s no price you could put on such an experience if you have an interest in singing.

“Pop Idol was ten years ago and as a runner-up I was given an incredible opportunity. Since then I’ve been able to work with some of the best people in television and it’s been a lot of fun.”

So why did he turn down Simon Cowell’s offer of a million pound record deal?

“I was incredibly flattered but it seemed too good to be true. Once I’d got over my disbelief of the situation - I was a student in Edinburgh at the time and it was all very exciting - I sat down and worked out what I wanted. Simon wanted to do it his way but I wanted to perform my own material and not be a covers artists being told what to wear and how to be.

Darius went on to sign with Grammy Award-winning U2 producer Steve Lillywhite, exceeding Pop Idol expectations when his self-penned single Colourblind entered the UK chart at Number 1 and his debut album went platinum.

Darius, of course, is no stranger to the stage. Recent West End roles include Sky Masterson in Guys ’n’ Dolls, Billy Flynn in Chicago and Rhett Butler in Trevor Nunn’s Gone With The Wind.

Now he is taking on his biggest role yet in The History Of The Big Bands.

Following in the footsteps of the great crooners such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin and Andy Williams, Darius revisits some of the swing era’s very best songs.

“It all stemmed from a conversation I had with my grandfather about big band music. I loved the idea of having a band on stage and being able to demonstrate the roots and relevance of big band music throughout the ages. It was very much the pop or rock of its era.

“Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin and Peggy Lee; the big band sound evolved over many chapters that can be divided by the leaders such as Duke Ellington to Count Basie. It’s a journey from one end of the spectrum to the other with great songs and solos performed in a way an audience will probably never have heard before. We have a dancer performing burlesque and a 16-piece orchestra. The whole idea is to transport people to a different era to see what it was like to have been there, back in the day and experience the music the way it should be - live.”

So does Darius have a favourite among the big band artists?

“I really love Nat King Cole. He’s a legend. In my opinion he's the greatest male vocalist. He did something with his voice no other singer did before - allowing the bass baritone to enter into popular music in such a distinctive way. It’s never been achieved before and I love his voice; it’s like velvety chocolate.”

The History of the Big Bands takes the audience on a trip down memory lane with songs from Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Buddy Rich and also performing classic tracks made famous by Frank Sinatra and other greats from days gone by. Darius will be releasing an album to coincide with the tour, which is continuing through 2011.

“I’ve been very lucky to experience different things and grow as a man and also as a singer,” concludes Darius. “It’s good when you find the perfect fit, the genre that suits your voice best. I’d thought I’d found that with opera but I have a sneaking suspicion I might be at my best with an older era of crooning, which oddly enough I tapped into in those first Pop Idol auditions years ago.”

The History Of The Big Bands is on Saturday, September 11 at 7.30pm at The Alban Arena, Civic Centre, St Albans.

Details: 01727 844488, www.alban-arena.co.uk