THIS was always going to be a special show and no-one left disappointed. Headliners Haven were about to finish another successful jaunt of the UK's smaller venues., whilst The Burn fine tuned their set with one eye on their Oasis shows.

But the Blackburn boys weren't the only ones talking about big support spots. Having just been confirmed on the New Order bill for later in the week, the backstage buzz was soon transfered to the main stage.

Gary Briggs' band were formed in St Just, Cornwall, some four years before they relocated to Manchester's Night and Day cafe. There, under the guidance of former Smiths manager Joe Moss, they took up residency at the venue as they polished their material to highest standard.Having only released three singles, many who packed into the upper room were still coming to terms with much of their guitar driven material.

With Briggs' compelling vocals mixed with Nat Watson's volcanic guitar bleed it's an almost irresistible combination.

Self assured,tight and solid throughout if there's one weak link in their armour it's the lack of really strong hooks. It's a problem that needs addressing, butt one they should iron out as they record their debut album with the legendary guitarist Johnny Marr .

But any doubts about this band's credentials simply disappear as you listen you Briggs' heartfelt rendion of Beautiful Thing. With a vocal range that's currently only matched by Starsailor's James Walsh, he has the charisma and energy of a frontman whose going to take his band a long long time.

CLIVE LAWRENCE