Bradford rockers Warm will be turning up the heat for the city's army of rugby league fans tonight.

The five-piece are pressing ahead with a special gig in Edinburgh as a curtain-raiser for tomorrow's Challenge Cup Final between Bradford Bulls and Leeds Rhinos.

The concert will definitely be staged at the Attic in Cowgate, Edinburgh, despite doubts over the game going ahead following flooding in the Scottish capital.

The final is usually held at Wembley but has been moved this year to Murrayfield, the home of Scottish rugby union because it was originally thought the redevelopment of Wembley would be under way by now.

Lead guitarist Craig Hamilton said he hoped many of the invading hordes of Bulls fans heading north for the weekend would go to the gig.

"Apparently there will be coachloads of people going up there having a boozy weekend," he said.

"I've never been to the final before but it should be a great atmosphere."

Craig said he and the rest of the Warm lads were not regulars at Odsal but admired what the Bulls had done for the image of Bradford - something the band were hoping to emulate.

"We're sort of fans. We all used to play rugby league at an amateur level when we were younger. At the end of the day Bradford Bulls are the best team in the country and it's great for Bradford to see them doing so well," said Craig.

Warm are the first band to sign to the new Bradford-based label Skylark Records - part of the group which sponsors the Bulls' shirts - which has just released their debut single featuring Word I Say and New Man.

"We've had e-mails and faxes from all over the country, which is great," said Craig.

The group, whose line-up also includes Lee Walsh on vocals, Craig's brother Jamie on rhythm guitar, Paul Ellis on bass and Duncan Wilkinson on drums, promoted that record with an afternoon performance at Virgin Megastore in Bradford which proved an unusual experience.

"It was a bit weird and nerve-racking playing in front of so many people we knew in the afternoon but it was enjoyable and it was a good crowd," said Craig.

Warm have already completed demos with American producer Menace for their debut album Controlled Aggression but will be going back into the studio shortly to re-record it.

The plan now is to release a four-track EP in late August featuring Take Me Away, another album track and two B-sides.

There will be another chance to see the band, who featured in a high-profile BBC television documentary last month which told the story of Jamie's battle against heroin addiction, on June 23 when they play Joseph's Well in Leeds.

And before then they will be playing at the Orange Club in London on May 20.

Warm are also in the process of setting up several performances at leading European music festivals, including headlining an Eastern European Festival that is broadcast live to 15 million people in several countries.

*Tickets to see Warm in Edinburgh are £3 and the band have also arranged free entry into the ARK nightclub in Edinburgh for people who buy tickets to the Attic. They will be onstage at 9.30pm.

For more information about the band and how to get tickets to the gig at the Orange Club, visit their website at www.warm-uk.com

Meanwhile, Bradford and Leeds-based Darwin have a gig on home territory this weekend. The band, who came into being from the remnants of club band SET, will be playing at Rio's in Bradford tomorrow, with support from Crash. For tickets contact the band or Rio's on (01274) 735549.

Simon Ashberry

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.