WHEN a singer calmly informs you that his band's influences are as diverse as the Beach Boys, heavy metal, Peter Gabriel and Westlife, you just know you have to listen to the CD.

Because the first thought running through your mind is unprintable and the first look on your face is one of bewilderment.

Never before has anyone tried to mix the influence of a chick-friendly boy-band ballad with the thrash of heavy drums and frantic guitar playing.

And it seems, neither have Carva, the Westhoughton and Halliwell-based band which is set to play at Hawthorne's, in Bolton, on Tuesday.

For although the band have different tastes in music, they do not blend them together in one song. What they do, however, is write and sing some really rather good tunes that span the genres.

Singer Aidy Gerrard, aged 21, from Westhoughton, said: "It's hard to describe the sound. It would be easy to say metal but there's more to it than that. We play pop songs as well."

The band -- which also includes Halliwell-trio Darren "D" Pilkington, 24, guitarist, Chris Hardy, 21, bass, and drummer Graham White, 24 -- have played more than 90 gigs since forming three-and-a-half-years ago.

At one point, however, they considered moving to London. Aidy said: "Whenever I talk to A&R men, they always say we live too far away. You have to be in the capital to grab people's attention.

"We go down there every month now but we've ruled out a permanent move because our friends and family are all from Bolton."

The four met after Aidy, who went to Wigan and Leigh College, saw a newspaper advert urging singers to call. It was placed by Graham and Aidy went for an audition above D's father's fish and chip shop.

Chris later met Graham in Hawthorne's and the line-up was complete.

Aidy said: "We all get along just fine although when we're in the car together, we often argue about the type of song we want to put on the CD player."

They will play at Hawthorne's, on Spa Road, Bolton, on Tuesday at 9pm.