THEY used to be Rubbish but now they're Tidy -- and Pendle's favourite band are now locked away in serious rehearsals as they prepare for one of their biggest gigs of the year.

Friday night's show at Colne Municipal Hall is rare treat for fans of the local scene, with The Cornerstones and Pigeon Smith completing the bill.

But The Tidy -- formerly known as The Rubbish and fiercely loyal to the area -- have had to make some tough decisions to ensure their headline spot is nothing short of their best.

Lead singer Bruce Thomas revealed that a lack of practice facilities in the area had forced them to relocate to Manchester.

He said: "There is just nowhere decent to rehease around here. Driving to Manchester every night isn't ideal but we'll do it because we want everything right for the gig."

The frontman promised the five-piece would showcase a batch of new material.

He said: "We've been working on the new stuff for a while now. We've been a bit lazy getting it together but four or five new ones will definitely be in Friday night's set."

Following the gig, the lads will return to the studio, where they have been working with Moby's sound man John Pennington.

And with their interests now being looked after by Karen Judd, the manager who secured Bury band Elbow a deal with Richard Branson's V2 label, they have a new appetite for the work.

Bruce said: "It's great to have Karen on side but we need to arm her with the right material to give her a fair chance to represent us."