A BOLTON rock band have gone continental as they performed in France for their first headline European date.

The Attic Doctors played the Le Truskel rock'n'roll bar and microclub in Paris last night.

Formed in 2015 the band, whose members attended Smithills and Sharples Schools, got together in their late teens and early 20s through the Blind Tiger venue in Bolton.

Originally a four piece, comprising singer Dean Peatfield, guitarist Joe Cubbin, drummer Jack Smith and bassist Matt Dagger; the boys later expanded their sound and their line-up, being joined by a second guitarist, Liam Duffy.

The Attic Doctors have since played dates across Manchester and the North West including at Night and Day Cafe and the Castle Hotel.

Their simultaneously fresh and retro-inspired sound is driven by the band's diverse influences, from hip hop to the Talking Heads, and backgrounds in guitar bands and production.

In recent months the band have been working on a number of new tracks, recorded at the White Bear in Chorley, which they will be officially launching in the coming weeks.

Bassist Matt said: "The band started in 2015 when we got together for a laugh to be honest. We were practising in Joe's attic which is where the name came from.

"We started jamming and we thought 'this is all right', and then we got a gig at Blind Tiger and it sprang from there.

"It came from the fact that we all had similar tastes in music, we all played music and we all wanted to be in a band."

"Then we wrestled each other to combine all our influences and it took a while to find a middle ground for our sound.

"But I think that has created something different, and I would like to think that we have a sound that is undoubtedly ours.

"We then got a few tracks and singles recorded, and broke in to Manchester through Bolton.

"We got a headline gig at Manchester Academy, which is probably our highlight, and everything exploded from there, and now we are playing London and Paris."

The band landed the gig at Le Truskel through Sheffield-based promoters Northern Exposure, and were be supported by French hard rock outfit Rust Runners.

Mr Dagger said: "I approached Northern Exposure and they liked what we're doing so they offered us this gig in Paris, which was quite surreal.

"It just came out of nowhere. Northern Exposure contacted me to say they have this gig in France that had popped up, and only that we fit the bill.

"The gig is a game changing opportunity for us to be honest. I think it's the start of something better to come."

The band kicked off their impromptu 2018 tour at Jimmy's in Manchester on March 11.

Following the French date, the band are playing across the UK and the North West, including dates in London, Blackburn and Manchester, before they make a homecoming with a show at Blind Tiger on May 19.

Mr Dagger said: "We just started by organising a load of gigs and it turned in to a tour.

"We're going to play in as many places and to as many faces as we possibly can.

"I think this is the best outfit we have had, and I think we sounded the best we have every sounded at the gig on Sunday.

"The crowd there was probably at least 100 people, so it was a very good warm up for Le Truskel, and I think it is just onwards and upwards from here really."