Island band and Battle of the Bands winners the Bluebyrds opened on the main stage today to a wonderful IW Festival welcome.

“It was awesome, the best gig of their lives,” said manager Dave Harrison. “They really nailed it - it was a big fat sound. There was a big crowd and people just kept walking forward. They got a lot more people than they anticipated.

“We’ve got a feeling that from this gig they might get noticed - we’ve had some interest already,” added Dave, from Newtown, who is also the father of Max Harrison, the drummer, who formed the band with Kier Hicks, vocalist and lead guitarist. The duo have been playing together for around four years in different bands but the current line up with Devon Badman from Chale and Chris Williams from Alverstone Garden Village have been gigging for only a year.

Opening with ‘For My Girl’, the boys got a great reception from the crowd, and played a tight set, finishing with ‘Bars’. Their bluesy numbers are influenced by 60s and 70s artists such as Cream, Pink Floyd, Santana, James Brown and Muddy Waters.

“Their realistic expectation was for a much smaller crowd, but they got a huge reception,” enthused Dave. The guys will be playing during Cowes Week, but for further gigs check their website at www.thebluebyrds.com