A ROCK band is appealing for the public to help it achieve its dream and play at a prestigious rock festival.

Bolton’s A Mouth Full of Matches is one of 15 bands shortlisted in the Red Bull Studios Live at Download competition.

The five-piece group originally uploaded one track to its website and gained enough public votes to be in the top 100 across the country.

Now, the band has been shortlisted to the top 15 by a panel of judges.

The vote has now re-opened and the six bands with the highest number will play on the Red Bull Studios Live stage at the festival, as well as two further bands chosen by the judges.

Bass guitarist Helen Hebenton, from Darcy Lever, whose twin sister Jane plays lead guitar in the band, said it would be a dream come true to play at a festival she regularly attends.

The 25-year-old, who is a freelance graphic designer, added: “We were surprised to even be in the top 100, and to get to the top 15 is brilliant.

“It’s insane, we go there every year and we see so many bands playing on that stage, and to be on the other side of that would be surreal.”

The group is completed by drummer Steven Hall, who is from Bury and a former pupil at Elton High School, singer Tom Buxton from Dudley, West Midlands, and rhythm guitarist Mark Holden from Worsley.

A Mouth Full of Matches formed in late 2012, and has already played gigs across the country and recorded two EPs.

After being shortlisted in the top 15, the band travelled to London to record a track in a studio with experienced producers and create a video to showcase the band on the competition website.

The group will find out on May 23 whether they have received enough support to play the festival, which takes place from June 13 until June 15, and is headlined by Aerosmith, Linkin Park and Avenged Sevenfold.

For more information and to vote, visit download.redbullstudios.com