Bliss, at Manor Barn, Padiham

PACKED venues could easily become commonplace for Padiham girl group Bliss.

Since they blasted onto the local scene earlier this year at Burnley's Bands In The Park event the talented trio have gone from strength to strength.

The ambitious group - Abigail Jackson, Marie Atkinson and Laura Heyworth - looked at ease as their fans packed into the venue.

I will always prefer live musicians but '90s pop has made backing tapes acceptable and Bliss make the most of the technology.

They sing note-perfect and possess charisma that some professionals would envy.

They slowly wooed the crowd with their blend of soulful pop. Most of their material was taken from their debut album One Sweet High, complemented by a brilliant version of Stand By Me.

But the top track of the evening was a new tune called Everything. Its mellow appeal was not lost on the girls and they wisely re-ran the number for their encore.

The trio's only small weakness is that at times some of the dance routines are a bit static. Even in the confines of this small venue they should have been more creative.

With more interaction and movement around the stage, their show would gain a spontaneous and stronger presence.

Apart from that, things look well for Bliss and stardom is well within their reach.

Bliss will support Ezio at Padiham Town Hall next Saturday. Tickets are £5.

CLIVE LAWRENCE

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