A ROCK-POP band from North Yorkshire is in the running to win a regional music competition.

Harrogate group IV Play are one of three finalists of the Northern Star competition, run by Yorkshire Television's news programme Calendar. The band will play on Calendar with the other finalists next week, before being entered into a public phone poll.

The winner will play live at Leeds outdoor music event Party in the Park on July 20.

Band leader Nader Mabadi, said he was "thrilled".

He said: "When you look at how many people have entered, it's amazing to have got this far. We said to each other that we are winners just by getting to this stage already, it's just fantastic."

The band will play their own song Pick A Letter on Calendar on July 9.

Nader hopes playing on Calendar will give the band a publicity boost.

His mother, Christine, said she was extremely proud of the band.

She said: "They're all local lads who've just done so well to reach this point. They've only been together for 13 months."

Updated: 08:45 Thursday, July 03, 2003