SCHOOLBOY rock group Al!ve have hit the Lottery jackpot - and won a date with megastar Madonna.

The Bury boys are booked to appear with Madonna on tomorrow night's live Lottery draw in front of 15 million viewers.

It's the biggest test yet for the boys, three of whom are waiting to sit GCSEs at Bury Grammar School.

Sadly, gambling laws say the "new Oasis" are too young to share the stage with the superstar singer, so they've been filmed outside in a special "rockumentary" style film.

The band have been going for two years and comprise BGS students Andy Ross (15, lead singer), guitarist Darren "Daz" Kane (16) and drummer Martin Whyment (15), along with bassist Craig Stelnicki (16) who is studying at the Manchester School of Sound Recording.

The Lottery booking is the band's reward for playing nearly 100 gigs at schools around the country and during a residency at Granada Studios.

Al!ve won a grant last year through the Arts Council, who recommended them to Lottery bosses. They were so impressed they invited them onto the Saturday night live draw.

The film shows the band driving on a special "band wagon" tour bus to play a gig, surrounded by hundreds of screaming fans. Viewers will hear one of their many original songs called "I'm Not the Innocent One".

Andy's father Peter, who manages the band, said everything has gone "absolutely mad" since the boys secured their TV date.

"For the last two years, the band's mission has been to get out there, keep playing, and make it happen," said Peter. "They've now got an enormous following and a real empathy with the kids. They're not a teenybop boy band but a rock band, and their songs are very positively lyrically."

They start a UK tour in March and such is their fans' devotion that the band have set up their own site on the Internet at www.rossgrp.u-net.com

Mr Ross said interest from record companies was hotting up now the lads were reaching school leaving age.

But they're still keen on getting their exam qualifications: in fact, they took French GCSE a year early and scored A-grades.

"Since the start, they were conscientious about not letting the band interfere with school. It's an insecure business with nothing guaranteed."

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