EAST Lancashire popsters The Rubbish stole the show when they played a televised showcase gig for up-and-coming bands in Manchester.

The Pendle band made a big impression when they played the gig at Manchester's Footage and Firkin last week along with Blackburn band Marrakesh and other North West acts.

The band's half-hour set impressed Area 51 programme organiser Brian Bell, who said: "We were very impressed with The Rubbish. They worked the crowd really well and in that respect they were in a class of their own. There wasn't a duff song in their set and I wouldn't be surprised if we start hearing a lot more about them." Marrakesh also impressed on the night despite a technical glitch with one of their guitars.

The performances for programme Area 51 will be screened on the Cable & Wireless local channel in late November. Keep watching Pulse to find out when.

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