For a bunch of working-class lads growing up in Birmingham in the late '70s, opportunities did not come knocking.

Unemployment levels were high and the industrial landscape of the city was less than inspiring.

What it did inspire was the founding of arguably Britain's most successful reggae act, UB40.

A collective of friends who had a wide mix of ethnic backgrounds (English, Irish, Scottish, Jamaican and Yemeni), they met at various schools and formed the band in 1978 at a time when music seemed like the only out.

They dedicated a year to practising their craft, learning how to play their instruments and perform before they made their live debut.

"It was a depressed time where there wasn't that many great jobs around, not a lot of opportunity," UB40 drummer Jimmy Brown says before the band's upcoming Australia tour in November.

"We were unemployed and we used our time to put the band together which is why, in the end, we called ourselves UB40 because it was unemployed benefit form 40 we had to fill out."

What the city did offer was a multicultural melting pot, mostly from the influx of Caribbean immigrants who relocated to Britain after World War II.

With the largest Jamaican community in the country outside London, the culture of the Caribbean islands injected itself into the city's music scene.

In turn, the city became home to some of the world's most influential reggae artists.

"We lived in an area where that music was played a lot and we were exposed to it," Brown says.

"It was just something that seemed obvious that we're British, we're born in a multicultural area and it hadn't been done before really. You've got two tone, which was like the ska/punk thing, but for a band with white members to attempt to play reggae was very unusual at the time."

He says the band's chemistry as a live unit was evident early on.

"The great thing about UB40 is the very first gig we ever did - we were all nervous obviously - but it went great," Brown says.

"It's kind of like you cross your fingers and hope you're gonna get a good response but when we did, we just carried on and carried on and here we are 30-odd years later and we still get the same response."

It has not all been smooth sailing, though. Eight years ago, frontman Ali Campbell left UB40.

It was a bitter split which forced the remaining six original members of the group to take the singer to court over the use of the UB40 name.

Brown, who founded the band with Campbell 37 years ago, says the situation is nothing but sad.

"It's sad and it's family as well, you know, obviously with the brothers and everything. It's pretty hurtful. We went through a phase of being really angry and we're still fairly angry but it's more of an inconvenience than anything."

Brown says the band - comprising guitarist Robin Campbell, bassist Earl Falconer, percussionist Norman Hassan, saxophonist Brian Travers, singer Duncan Campbell (along with Martin Meredith on sax, Laurence Parry on trumpet and Tony Mullings on keyboards) - has never played better.

A new album is in the works (planned for release in early 2016) and the band is touring Europe before they head to Australia.