FIGHTSTAR

Rock quartet Fightstar were never sure they had a chance, given that singer Charlie Simpson's day job was with the biggest teen-pop group in the country, Busted. But after a warm-up show in guitarist Alex Westway's home town of Northampton, the band were convinced. "It was such a cool show," says Charlie. "There were loads of people there who couldn't believe we were actually quite good!"And so after a period of heavy gigging, comes this year's debut album, Grand Unification. "It's about getting rid of everything that's f***d up in the world," explains Charlie helpfully. Produced by Colin Richardson (Funeral For A Friend, Machine Head, Slipknot), 'Grand Unification' is bold in design and is an important debut for hardcore's newest superstars. And it'll make you forget Busted ever existed...