SINGER Jill Fielding has an unusual wish for her band's appearance at the Octagon theatre on Tuesday.

She hopes that her audience contains not only music lovers - but also her bridesmaids.

Jill, whose husband Nigel is also part of the band, was born in Bolton but now lives in Ormskirk, and has lost touch with many of her old friends.

The gig at the Octagon marks only her second live performance in the town, and she is hoping that friends, including people who went to Lever Edge Primary School and Hayward Bilateral School with her, will turn up to say hello.

She says: "There are all kinds of people I'd like to come down from school, that would be fantastic. And I'd really like to get in touch with the people who were my bridesmaids, I lost touch with them when we moved from Bolton."

The Jill Fielding band consists of three regular members, and on Tuesday they will also have a fiddler playing with them.

The band started in 2003, although they had all pursued solo careers beforehand. Professional musicians who have been playing since childhood, they play a mixture of musical styles.

"We've supported a lot of folk artists, but at the moment we're branching out into Americana and sixties now, just to give us a wider appeal," says Jill.

And for Jill, this is the culmination of a lifetime's dream.

She says: "If people had told me five years ago that I would have been doing this, I would never have believed them in a million years. I'm following my heart and that's really what I wanted to do."

The Jill Fielding Band plays at the Octagon on Tuesday. Doors open at 7.30pm, performance begins at 8.30pm. Tickets cost £3, £2 for concessions.

For more information, visit Jill's website at www.jillfielding.co.uk.