PULSE - music and more, with Simon Donohue

AN East Lancashire band was today due to battle it out for a prestigious chance to win a bright future.

Salt Of The Earth have been picked from thousands of entries to compete alongside three other groups at the Wembley final of The Band magazine's Band Of The Year competition.

The four finalists will be competing for the title of Band of the Year '97 at Wembley Exhibition and Conference Centre as part of the National Music Show '97 in an event which started at 2.30pm this afternoon.

A spokesman for the competition said: "The four bands have successfully navigated their way to the final, beating around 1,000 other entrants on demo tape in what will be their first - but not necessarily their last - performance at Wembley.

"They were chosen at nine individual heats from Glasgow and Newcastle and Belfast."

Blackburn band Salt Of The Earth won their place after pleasing the judges at a heat in Wigan. Their excellent CD single Amazing Individual - which also appears on a commemorative CD for The Band magazine - helped them to achieve the place.

Andy Marshall, publisher of The Band magazine, said: "The sheer number of entries staggered us and selecting the finalists has been very difficult.

"The quality of the bands that have made it through is a testament to the talent and ability thriving from grass roots up in British music."

Salt will be up against Soul Jahz from London, Sugarproof from Portsmouth and Jub Jub from Liverpool, each of which will have 20 minutes to impress the judges. The first prize will be a solid gold AKG microphone worth £1,500 and equipment and studio time to the tune of £2,000.

The Band magazine, launched for aspiring and practising musicians, has also promised the winners "priceless publicity" as their success is charted throughout the next 12 months.

Salt spokesman Alan Parker said: "Let's face it, we are the first group of people from these parts to have played at Wembley since Blackburn Rovers.

"If nothing else, that will look good on our CVs."

Premiership action

BURNLEY people have had a rare glimpse of work with the Premier Football League.

The town's Music Planet Studio's was used for the recording of the new Bolton Wanderers anthem by Stray Nation.

Stray Nation are Giles Ramirez and Lancashire born Steve Reid, two musicians who have worked together all over Europe. They are currently recording an album to be released in 1998 by Facet Records.

The single was commissioned by Bolton Wanderers to celebrate the launch of the Reebok Stadium and is shown before every home game. It is released on December 1.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.