A LEIGH musician is to appear on prime time national television in a bid to prove he is in the best tribute band in the country.

Ivan Meredith, 27, of Duke Street, will perform with his band Achtung Baby a tribute group to mega-stars U2 on BBC 1 a week today.

In Battle of the Fantasy Bands Ivan's group will attempt to out rock-'n'-roll five other tribute bands.

At the end of the show the audience will decide who is the best tribute band in the country. Ivan says the programme has a similar format to the hit programme Stars in their Eyes and he says it was an honour to even be asked to appear on the show. He said: "We were told that they had been scouting around for tribute bands to appear on the show for months. They wanted to have only the 'cream of the crop'. Someone came to watch us at a gig in London. I remember them filming us. Then we got a phone call a couple of days later asking us to be on."

Achtung Baby spent two days at BBC studios rehearsing and performing live infront of an audience. They sang the U2 smash Pride (In The Name of Love).

And they were interviewed by the show's host Ulrika Jonsson.

In the special one off TV show they will be up against T Rexstasy (Marc Bolan and T Rex), The Fabba Girls (Abba), The Fab Beatles (the Beatles), The Counterfeit Stones (The Rolling Stones) and Stayin' Alive (the Bee Gees.)

The bands will compete to win three categories; best lookalike, best soundalike and best overall tribute band. Ivan joined Achtung Baby one year ago after completing a HND course in popular music at Leigh College, although the band has been together for seven years. Singer Andy Bagnall, from Barnsley, came second in the grand final of 'Stars in their Eyes' in 1995 as Bono. Other band members are drummer Pete Akid, from Hyde, and bass player Steve Kean, from Stalybridge. "We want our audiences to shut their eyes and be able to imagine they are at a U2 concert," said Ivan. He performs as guitarist 'The Edge'.

Battle of the Fantasy Bands will be broadcast on BBC One on Friday January 19 at 8 pm.