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I headed to Birmingham's Barfly to watch and meet the Birmingham band, Brite Lites.

After hearing they'd been picked to open for the Aussie band INXS at Symphony Hall, I decided to check them out and I wasn't disappointed.

When looking around during Brite Lites performance there were plenty of heads nodding, tapping of toes and a great response to the typical band to crowd banter.

Brite Lites have a gentle alternative sound which merges into a soft rock beat in most of their tracks.

The band consist of Lee and Dan; Guitar & Vocals, Jayme; Drums & Vocals and Andrew on bass.

With a wide variety of influences, from heavy rock to country music its no wonder that they sound very familiar. Yet their sound is individual in the way that you just can't put your finger on who they are similar to.

The band have been together for 18 months now. With gig experience in Liverpool, Stratford and Coventry, London is their next stop.

Whilst they already pull their biggest crowds here in Birmingham, they really want to conquer the city. They are thankful for the big Birmingham bands of the present: "Birmingham was more about Duran Duran and UB40, there was no one really modern so now with Editors and The Twang, people are paying to attention to what is coming out of Birmingham" said Andrew.

Playing with INXS

2500 Birmingham INXS fans have already given Brite Lites a positive reception.

From their cheap and cheerful rehearsal room with currently no lights, the band found out about a competition to open at one of INXS's gigs.

They filled in a form which comprised of just a name, number and MySpace address. After three weeks they heard nothing until the night before the actual gig, with just an email telling them to turn up and bring their own equipment!

The future

After initially feeling sick by the prospect of such a big gig Lee told me: "It was fantastic, it just made us realise just how much more we wanted".

Out of the hundred's of people that entered the competition, INXS's guitarist told Brite Lites just why they were picked: "He came to us and said that the reason he picked us was because we had such a mature sound and that the songs were so strong."

"We spoke after the show, they said they thought that we had what it took to go all the way and he was really confident. We said that maybe we'll do a tour one day and that can support us!" Lee said.

So keep your ears to the ground 'cause Brite Lites can be seen touring at a venue near you. I suggest you check them out!