Band comes home to play

Hot on the heels of the town's Popstars-wannabes Jessica and Kevin, comes a new group of musicians who are setting their musical sights high.

Rock three-piece Bed are hoping to strike the right chord with fans at their first Preston gig -- and are looking forward to rocking their home town wild when they play at Extreme, in Church Street, Preston, on Wednesday, March 21, at 10pm.

Singer and guitarist Beth Swain, bass player Jonti Peters, both from Bamber Bridge and drummer Andy Bristow, from Preston, make up the band.

Although the group have been together for about nine months this will be the first time the group have performed on home ground after gigging in other venues up and down the country.

At 25m Andy is the 'granddaddy' of the young band. He said: "Eventually we hope to be full-time musicians. Beth writes some cracking songs so we're in the process of recording them and looking for managers at the moment."

Jonti added: "Our own stuff has been going down well so far."

Bed are experienced musicians -- 18-year-old Beth started gigging at the tender age of 13, and Jonti, now 20, started in a band with his dad and sister when he was nine.

As a 14-year-old schoolboy Andy performed his first gigs at The Lamb, in Preston, before meeting his fellow band members on the music circuit.

Their set includes modern rock classics as well as their own material. Andy said: "We do cover songs and seven or eight of our own. I've been in bands before that do totally original stuff but people like to hear songs they know as well."

And the three say they are not hankering after Popstars-type fame. "We are nothing like the Popstars," Beth laughed.

Jonti added: "We are mainly in it for the love of music as opposed to wanting to 'make it'. We're hoping to do a lot more gigs in Preston and build up our fan base in the area."

The band's forthcoming CD will feature seven original tracks and the group are hoping it will net them a record deal.

Entrance to Bed's gig at Extreme is free.