The celebrations are continuing for Chippenham band The Silhouette Showgirls this week after they made it through to the area finals of Live and Unsigned 2010.

The indie rock group, made up of Daniel Gibb and Matthew Coombs, both 26, and Matthew Green, 27, all from Chippenham, Joel Harding, 25, from Calne, and Ben Whelan, 32, from Warminster, had beat off competition from 400 bands to secure a place at the heats in Middlesex.

They were given three and a half minutes to perform one of their own songs as well as a cover song in front of a panel of four judges.

Guitarist and vocalist Mr Green, of Wood Lane, said the group decision to cover a JLS song was a brave one but it went down a storm with the judges.

“We were told to be a bit creative so we thought we would do an R‘n’B song rather than our usual indie rock so we chose Beat Again by JLS,” he said.

“It went really well and the judges said it was the best cover of the day. We are just absolutely ecstatic.

“It was a bit of an X Factor moment, we were all lined up backstage when they announced who was through and we had to go back onstage when they read our name out. It was brilliant.”

The band, whose sound is influenced by Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and Pearl Jam, will now fight it out against around 20 bands on May 2.

The overall competition winner will be offered a recording and management contract with Future Music.

Mr Green added: “Only one or two bands will go through at the area finals and we will have to do the same again with one of our own songs and a cover.

“We have a bit of time to have a serious think about what we are going to perform this time, it may be something similar to the JLS song though because it went so well.

“The key thing is that we are getting recognised by people in the music industry which means a lot to us.”

To support the group at the area finals go to www.myspace.com/silhoutteshowgirls