PULSE - music and more, with Paul Barry

LOVE IT or hate it, World Cup fever is just around the corner.

TodaY, PULSE catches up with some of the key players behind the songs vying for glory during France '98:

WATER-THROWING Chumbawamba frontman Danbert Nobacon's love of Burnley FC helped inspire the anarchists' latest release, which the band say is about loving a team whether they win or lose.

Danbert told Pulse: "Boff and I went along to the last match of the season at Turf Moor against Plymouth and it was incredible. I went to some of the relegation battles in the '70s but this year was an amazing experience. People were just going mad when the result from the Brentford game came out and we knew we had got through."

Rather like Burnley, Chumbawamba have long been in the lower divisions of the music world. Danbert said: "Burnley have definitely been underdogs this year but they have come through. Harry, our drummer, is from Barnsley and just as Chumbawamba hit the top 10, Barnsley were playing in the Premiership for the first time, so the football is mirroring our progress a bit."

"WHERE on earth are you from? We're from Eng-er-land / Where do you come from? Do you put the kettle on?"

If actor/comedian Keith Allen has his way, these are the lyrics all England fans will be singing in France next month.

Going under the guise of Fat Les and joining forces with Blur's Alex James and artist Damien Hirst, this is probably the first song ever to mix food with football. "You must be stupid if you don't think they go together," snarled Keith as he lit up a cigarette. "Vindaloo and football are the most popular traditions in the country."

"It's the 'nar nar nar' chanting nature of the song that makes it stand out. It's easy to remember and it's a song that can be sung on the terraces. It has a life, I think, that will last longer than the World Cup."

The video, directed by and starring Keith Allen, is a brilliant parody of the Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony. Paul Kaye, alias Dennis Pennis, plays the sulky role of Richard Ashcroft swaggering down a London street. As he does so he bumps into characters carrying bags of vindaloo, including Matt Lucas, aka George Dawes, complete with an arrow through his head, and John "Fast Show" Thompson. It's all very jovial, and the ideal thing to whet a World Cup appetite.

MEANWHILE the music champs of Euro '96, with Frank Skinner and David Baddiel, think they are in with a good chance second time round. "Three Lions became a cultural phenomenon. It summarised a mood change in English football. I think that's why it took like it did," said Baddiel.

"I think the lyrics to Three Lions are better than God Save the Queen. We didn't, for instance, try and rhyme glorious with over us, which is a rubbish piece of writing really," said Skinner.

But fellow contributor and Lighting Seeds frontman Ian Broudie plays the song down: "I don't necessarily think it's the best song I have ever done. It was the proudest moment, probably, when the England fans sang it at Wembley, but it was not my most emotional song, or one that was closest to my heart."

Willing and cable

THE pick of East Lancashire's musical talent is being sought by a cable TV company looking to showcase up-and-coming acts. Talented musicians, whether they be pop, soul, rock, hip-hop or dance, can play to a potential audience of 800,000 households if they get onto the programme, called Area 51.

Each edition of the programme will be shown more than 50 times a week on local cable channels.

If you think you're the next Oasis, or you wannabe a Spice Girl, contact David Courtney on 01273 413080.

The 100-gig Itch

ACCRINGTON mod-rockers The Itch will be celebrating their 100th gig tonight - in their own home town.

Lead singer Pat Gallagher said: "When we realised our 100th gig was coming up, we looked at the list of dates and saw it was going to be a gig in Wigan.

Then we started rushing around trying to find somewhere in Accrington where we could play and make it our 100th."

The band will be giving away free gifts at tonight's show at the town's Arcade Bar.

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