A ‘CONFESSIONAL’ with a difference was held at a historic disused church in Blackburn.

A one-day live music festival, known as ‘Confessional’, was staged inside Holy Trinity Church, in Mount Pleasant, on Saturday.

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Around 300 people turned up to be part of the event which was organised by the Night at the Museum team, which lays on events in unusual venues.

Nine acts and DJs made up the bill, including Liverpool’s The Tea Street Band who were the headline act.

Matt Abbott, ex-frontman from Wakefield outfit Skint & Demoralised, acted as the compere.

Organiser Pete Eastwood, of Regents View, Pleckgate, Blackburn, said: “It was absolutely amazing and it went off without a hitch.

“People were coming up to me demanding that it should be an annual event, which would be fantastic.”

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The church, which was built between 1837 and 1846 and designed by the Lancaster architect Edmund Sharpe, closed in 1981 and is used only for occasional services.

Earlier this year it was used by talent competition Reidy’s Exposure winners Where Fires Are to shoot a promotional video.

It was designated as a Grade-II listed church in May 1987, and was associated with Chad Vara, who was the vicar from 1942-49 and is best known for setting up the Samaritans.

Mr Eastwood, who worked on the event for nine months, added: “It has been a long, hard slog to get everything organised but I would love the chance to do it all over again.

“People seemed to really enjoy it and get into it, which is amazing.

“I’m so proud of how it all went.

“The building was such a fantastic space to use and we were very lucky to be given the opportunity to get it for the day.”

Among the acts that performed were some of the most popular entertainers in the region, such as Manchester’s Howling Rhythm Soul DJs, who sell out the city’s Ruby Lounge every month with a set-list of 60s soul, Motown, rhythm and blues and funk.

Former Oasis supremo Alan McGee’s first signing for his record label 359 Music, John McCullagh and The Escorts, also belted out their tunes.