PULSE, with Simon Donohue

KEYBOARD wizz Tony O'Neill has gone from being a performing arts student to a member of his musical hero's band in the space of a month.

Tony, 18, couldn't believe his luck when he walked out of the course at Accrington and Rossendale College and straight on to a stage in front of 20,000 people with pop star Mark Almond.

Now the former Our Lady and Saint John's pupil is hob-nobbing with a range of the country's biggest pop talents.

"It all started with an advert in the back of Melody Maker," Tony told Pulse.

"It simply said 'keyboard player wanted for short term contract with some work in Europe'. I sent a tape and photograph away and didn't hear anything for ages.

"I simply thought it would be handy to fill some time before I went to university.

"Ages later, I got a call saying I was among the top five people and the job was with Mark Almond."

Tony travelled to London and was offered the job to work with Mark, one of his own heroes, almost immediately.

Then, after just a day of rehearsal, he was put on stage in front of almost 20,000 people in Portsmouth.

Since that first show he has appeared along side huge acts like M People and The Beloved at the Manchester Mardi Gras and worked in the studio with musicians like PJ Proby and St Etienne. "It's been a real whirlwind for me," Tony added. "I was all set to go and do a Performings Arts degree at Bretton Hall but now I have put that on hold for a year.

"I was in awe of Mark when I first started working with him but he is such a nice man that didn't last long."

Tony, who is currently commuting between home in Old Bank Lane, Blackburn, and London, has also become friends with fellow band members Neil X, formerly of Sigue Sigue Sputnick, and Gavin Knight, drummer with The Shamen.

The record company are considering finding him a home in the capital.

He adds: "There's a brilliant atmosphere among the band and they have all been really nice with me.

"Me and Mark have become really good friends and we ring each other and have a chat. We are both big fans of Jerry Springer, the American TV presenter whose shows are currently on UK Gold. "We ring each other and talk about that. I know there are sorts of stories about Mark Almond but now I know him I think they were largely made up by the media in the days when they were frightened of a performer who was openly gay."

Tony has been in several bands in East Lancashire area, and most notably took part in a battle of the bands competition in a group which was put together as a bizarre antidote to all the other 'Oasis-style' entrants.

"That was really weird," he said. "We were called 14,13,47 and played this weird elctro-pop. We wore clown outfits and covered each other in glitter because we knew everyone else would be doing guitar stuff."

At 18, the future is already looking bright for Tony.

He has shows in Barcelona and Germany on his diary as well as a promotional tour for Mark Almond's new album.

He added excitedly: "I still can't believe it."

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