HIGHLY-RATED Hyndburn outfit Maupa showcased their pure pop tunes with heavy guitar rockers Uncowboy.

Once again a four-piece, established Pendle noise merchants Uncowboy kicked off the night with their Pearl Jam-style grunge sound.

Back with their original line-up of singer and guitarist Damien Manville, guitarist Chris Coupe, bassist Mark Robinson and drummer Lee Keenan, their music now has a deep, strong feel. Damien's power chords and the extra guitar sounds gave the group a solid foundation and got a warm response from the crowd. The former Syndicate frontman even dipped into his past, performing a reworked version of Wooden Horse as the energetic set closed.

In contrast, Maupa remained almost glued to the spot as they let their their clean, crisp melodies unfold. Only frontman David Boon broke rank, calmly swaying to and fro as his enchanting vocals rang out. His gentle voice has an amazing range, at times sounding almost almost female but always fitting the mood perfectly.

The Clayton-le-Moors outfit have cleverly hidden their Gomez influences and can claim a genuine, fresh sound.

Although their songs were mostly mid-tempo, the six-piece did let rip during the brilliantly funky Sister and Brother.

CLIVE LAWRENCE