BOLTON-based indie rock band Civic have been selected to play heat one of the Guinness sponsored Manchester Irish Festival YGG Battle of Bands competition. The festival is now the biggest Irish festival in the UK. Last year it was headlined by the chart-topping Irish supergroup The Corrs.

Civic will play their heat at the Star and Garter on Fairfield Street on Tuesday. And they hope to follow in the footsteps of Ash and Oasis, whose music careers were launched from the same venue.

The band have already recorded their own CD and are one of Manchester's finest unsigned bands. And they are a prime example of a band who know exactly where they are going and have the original tunes to take them there.

Lead singer, 19-year-old Michael Barlow said: "We really want to put Bolton on the map by winning this competition."

As well as a £500 cash prize, the winning band will also receive a year's supply of Pizza from Domino Pizza and a day in the recording studios.

This year's competition looks set to break last year's 2,500 attendance record as heat one is already sold out.

The final of the contest takes place at the 830 capacity Palace Nightclub in Levenshulme on Thursday, March 11.

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