THINGS seem to happen in threes for Pendle lo-fi rockers Element - they've just lined up a BBC TV appearance, had their single played on Radio One and secured a support slot with alternative heroes The Fall.

The three-piece, who earlier this year signed to Scottish record label Creeping Bent, will play Glasgow's G2 venue this week, where they are set to play six songs and take part in an interview for a programme called The Beat Room on BBC Choice.

The band - consisting of singer and guitarist Jay Stansfield, guitar man Karl Eden and drummer Mark Tattersall - received an odd accolade from Radio One's DJ John Peel, who played their single Lord Aparts last week.

Peel, whose tastes have always been unconventional - to say the least - went on to describe the record as "strange".

Singer Jay Stansfield told Pulse: "I had been listening to John Peel for weeks in case he played the single.

"I had just switched on the radio when the phone rang and Mark rang to say John Peel had played it.

"It was great that he played it but I couldn't believe that I'd missed it."

The band say their single, a double A-side with a band called Mongoose is doing well, with Piccadilly Records in Manchester having sold out and ordered more copies.

Their song got a favourable review in DJ magazine and a friend bought a copy in a record shop as far away as Bristol. Jay and the lads are delighted to have secured a support slot with indie legends The Fall, whose frontman Mark E Smith is one of their heroes. They are set to act as support when The Fall play at The Witchwood, Ashton-under-Lyne, on December 21.

They got the gig after hearing their heroes were playing and begging Jay's mum Linda, who manages the band, to try and arrange it. It's not the first time Element have had three significant things happen at once. In May, bassist Warren Smith quit, the lads begged Mark E Smith for a support slot and Karl gave a demo tape to his idols The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

Element play Manchester Roadhouse on Friday along with Manchester bands Scraggy's Fortune and SAMCITY and a group called Adore. See Gigs.

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