They've been shedding the pounds nearly as quickly as they've gained a reputation as one of Yorkshire's top pub bands.

But Otley's best-known four-piece are still sticking to being called the Above Average Weight Band

"When we started we all weighed 17 or 18 stones so that's where the name came from," said singer Nick Downes.

"We've actually all slimmed down quite a bit over the years but the name just stuck. We couldn't change it now."

The band, who are also known colloquially by another name which is wholly unsuitable for reproduction in a family newspaper, are celebrating their tenth anniversary together this month.

And tonight they have a gig at the Freestyle and Firkin pub in Bradford to mark the occasion. You can catch the group, who also feature Andy Taylor on drums, Dan Fletcher on guitar and Andy Keebs on keyboards, at their annual Christmas bash at Otley Rugby Union Club tomorrow, too.

In their early days, the group played traditional blues, with songs by the likes of John Lee Hooker in their set.

But they switched to a more pop-rock style as part of a bid to get on to the working men's club circuit, adding songs by acts like Queen and Bryan Adams to their repertoire.

Now their show incorporates covers of everything from I'm A Believer by The Monkees, Brimful of Asha by Cornershop and the traditional anthem Swing Low Sweet Chariot.

"We tend to do them in our own style which is half the appeal of doing cover versions. There's no point doing an exact copy or you might as well stick the jukebox on," said Nick.

He and Andy Taylor are the only remaining founder members left in the band, who are busier than ever.

"We do a lot of private functions. Every time you do a wedding or a 30th birthday or whatever you end up giving someone your business card and you get another booking," said Nick.

The lads have also been roped into several theme parties which have seen them dressing up in some pretty bizarre costumes.

"We did a farmyard party once and when we went to this place to get the costumes, he didn't really have enough costumes for us all to be farmyard animals so we had a chicken, a rabbit, a Tweety Pie and the nearest other thing he had was a parrot," said Andy Taylor.

"The guitarist got to be the parrot and I was the Tweety Pie and had to sing through the eyehole!"

The Above Average Weight Band have also been commissioned to write an official song for Hunslet Hawks rugby league team.

Called We Swept The Seas Before, Boys, it is based on the original Hunslet song which was inspired by how Sir Francis Drake hauled up a brush on to his ship after he had defeated the Spanish Armada. It should be recorded ready for the start of the new season in February.

The band have also revived their monthly newsletter for fans and plan to release a CD album of their live set in the New Year.

Simon Ashberry

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