THE ITCH, Rishton Cricket Club

DESPITE his appearance as mystery guest on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, fans of the former Secret Affair singer Ian Page still had a job picking out the star from a sell-out crowd.

Guesting with his new-found friends The Itch, Page swapped the bright lights of the capital for the unlikely surroundings of an East Lancashire cricket club.

Unashamedly mod , the lads have covered the Secret Affair classic Time For Action which got to number 22 in the charts in 1979. Twenty years on, when the band performed the song Page stepped from the shadows to prove time has stolen nothing from the song or his performing skills.

He's delighted to be associated with the Accrington lads and before the show he explained the reasons behind his 200 mile trip to the gig.

"They're a great set of lads and a brilliant band," he said. "I just really wanted to be here".

Wild adoration followed after Page's appearance and no one looked more delighted than frontman Pat Gallagher.

The audience loved the set, which included Jam and Small Faces covers sandwiched between original tracks. Although not an outright cover band, there is no doubt that their versions - particularly the brilliant rendition of the Beatles' Day Tripper - are very polished indeed.

CLIVE LAWRENCE

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