THE Grand Old Uke Of York say their next major show in the city will be the perfect way to launch their debut album.

The band is set to play at the Yorkshire Fringe Festival on July 20, where they will play some old favourites, but also tracks from their first album - Without The Tassles - which will be released that day.

Naomi Wells Smith said the album was the product of seven years of practice and was something the band had intended to do some time ago.

She said: “It’s a ten-track album we’ve been meaning to do for years, but we’ve never got round to it. It’s been pretty much ready to go since March, but we’ve been editing and waiting for the right time to release it.

She said: “Just getting used to recording is something in itself after playing in public. There are some who’ve never stood in front of a mic before and some who’ve never been in a studio.”

Tracks include the kind of rock and indie covers the band is known for, with a few numbers they haven’t played in concert. Tracks include Rock Star by Nickleback - the source of the album’s title - Dakota by Stereophonics, Common People by Pulp, Lola by The Kinks, Who Knew by Pink, X’s & O’s by Ellie King and I Predict A Riot by Kaiser Chiefs.

The album also includes a cover of Steppenwolf’s Born To Be Wild, which the band originally recorded for a Toyota television advert.

Naomi said the band had been building up to the performance since January, and will be performing at festivals this summer, including Chris Evans’ Car Fest North, and the album launch would feature a number of surprises for their “strong, loyal following”.

She said: “We’re doing the album launch at the Fringe because we have a captive audience! We always have a good time there and it’s a great atmosphere so we thought it would be a great time to do it.”

Tickets for the show are available at greatyorkshirefringe.com or for more information about the album email gouyclub@yahoo.com