Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

This has happened before, so we'll try not to get carried away. A band armed with a load of pop songs, who look great, have a decent attitude and everything in place to be huge.

Proper huge.

When you think about it, all Northern Ireland's been missing to make the rest of the world pays attention, is one song. A hit. Something that will go top-ten and generate a sing-along at the student disco. It would open the floodgates and a dozen bands from here would storm through.

'Rebel Get By' will be that hit, ATL's convinced. But as we've said, let's not get carried away. Yet.

We've known about Owen Strathairn for a while. With the first ATL Rockschool winners The Tides, he was the irritatingly cool bassist who seemed splendidly indifferent when told his band would play Vital, as part of their prize. In short, a star in the making.

Tonight he's like mid-sixties McCartney, even more so than usual - his hair is almost mop-top and his head is bobbing back and fourth. More so, his band are playing jangly little anthems with enormous hooks. And lucky for Owen, he has a strong enough voice to back up his general presence, which is huge, for one so small.

While the aforementioned pop song 'Rebel Get By' is the money-shot, the likes of 'A Wise Decision' and newbie 'Please Take Your Time' show they're a little depth to what they do. Like recent chart successes The Enemy - their songs are not just insanely catchy - they carry a little baggage.

It's been almost thirteen years since Ash released 'Girl From Mars'.

Thirteen years.

Finally, that wait may be over.

Rigsy