YORK live music pub The Victoria Vaults is launching a regular series of gigs to support and promote up-and-coming, original York talent.

These showcases will be held mainly, but not exclusively, on Friday nights under the Emerging York Talent, beginning this week with The Vedettes, Neon Salmon and Azera.

Friday's headliners The Vedettes are "no normal indie band", says co-promoter Dave Sollitt. "Not content to merely imitate those that came before, the quintet’s debut single, Silver, is a mission statement of a band who tread their own path.

"Second single Better Than You displays their creativity and dedication by delving into somewhat ‘experimental’ grooves and structures."

The Vedettes have received support from national radio, with Silver being listed as Laura Whitmore's Track of the Week on her Sunday Session on BBC Radio 5 Live and featured on BBC Introducing, which also aired Better Than You in early 2019.

Further gigs will present The Silvertones, Honours and Pavillion on April 5; Perspex, Jerry and Moleman on April 19 and Cowgirl and Soma Crew on May 10.

"We've got a bit of a music scene back in York; you can sniff it and sense it when stuff is going on," says Dave. "Like when BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq came to York for Independent Venue Week earlier this year and said, 'wow, I didn't realise there was so much going on here', and there's definitely a scene coalescing in the city.

"That's why we're launching the Emerging Young Talent nights, when we'll promote York bands and strike reciprocal deals with bands coming down from Newcastle to play here and vice versa. So let's get these gigs going as our local talent night, with our best sound guy involved."

Doors open on Friday at 7.30pm and the first band will be on at 7.45pm; tickets cost £5 from the pub or Vinyl Eddie, in Tadcaster Road, or £6 on the night. "All the rest of the gigs confirmed so far will be free entry," says Dave.

Meanwhile, The Victoria Vaults, in Nunnery Lane, is to undergo a further refurbishment, with brewery support, that will involve a wall being knocked down. "We believe this will transform the building, pulling the bar back a bit to make the front room bigger, with the sound coming through better," says Dave.