SLYDIGS toured the world with The Who and later this month they will share a stage with Def Leppard at the Royal Albert Hall.

The Burtonwood band have come a long way since forming 10 years ago but they have never forgotten their roots.

And if there is one of their collaborators who knows that better than most it is Lee Harman.

The Latchford resident runs Warrington Music [WAM], the website that champions the town’s bands and singer-songwriters.

He persuaded Slydigs to play his first [WAM] live showcase in September 2012 at Friars Court and they have been supporting each other since.

So Lee told Weekend it feels like going full circle for them to be playing their biggest gig together at Parr Hall. Slydigs will be celebrating the fifth anniversary of [WAM] with a homecoming show on March 16 with special guests The Winachi Tribe as well as Psyblings and The Ks.

Lee, who attended Woolston High, said: “I’d known them for years going back before [WAM] but that was the first time I’d managed to lock them down into a hometown show.

“So for them to be at my first show and then be there for our biggest show – their biggest headline show and my biggest show ever – is a nice little journey we’ve been on together.”

Lee was immersed in the town’s music scene long before [WAM] though. He’d do film work and photography for bands, partly inspired by Slydigs.

He added: “Even then Slydigs were one of the bigger names on the scene and I’ve had a good relationship with them since I first spoke to them.

“Having worked with a lot of bands you quickly get a grasp of who is in it for the right reasons and who’s fully committed.

“You get an early indication if a band has the potential to be successful.

“There’s no guarantees in life but Slydigs were finding themselves in all the right places and by the way they were carrying themselves you knew they were one to watch.

“You also find that in people like Greg Dixon from Psyblings. He’s got that quality where you want to keep your eyes focused on what he does. The bands may sometimes change but there are certain individuals who have what it takes. Hopefully through [WAM] we can give them the support they need.”

Even so, Lee is finding it slightly strange to be in the position where he is about to host his biggest gig.

That is because at the beginning of 2015 the 29-year-old decided to take a step back from [WAM] to focus on other aspects of his life.

That all changed when Warrington lost its rising stars, indie pop band Viola Beach, following a tragic car crash in Sweden in February 2016.

Lee said: “It was really due to the emotional outpouring that occurred after the tragic loss of Viola Beach. It showed that people did actually care about music in Warrington.

“The reason I started [WAM] was that a lot of bands were breaking up and venues were closing down.

“But after everything that happened with Viola Beach venues started to refocus on live music and bands started to form inspired by the journey that the guys went on.

“It reinvigorated me and gave me a reason in the immediate aftermath just to keep the website ticking over as people needed to know what was going on.”

Lee has also dreamed of putting a show on at the biggest venue in his town since a missed opportunity with indie favourites Catfish and The Bottlemen, who used to play regularly in Warrington before their meteoric rise.

He added: “I had the chance of putting Catfish and The Bottlemen on at the Parr Hall about six months after they played Friars Live for the last time.

“At the time, Parr Hall seemed like it was going to be too expensive and too much of a risk.

“Obviously I’ve been proven wrong. Catfish have absolutely blown up. They went on to be stratospheric about six months after that offer was made.

“They were the ones that got away so I’ve been wanting to put a show on at the Parr Hall for a long time. It’s the biggest venue in Warrington and it’s risky but having put shows on at practically every other venue in the town I had to make sure I got there.

“I thought if I didn’t do it for [WAM]’s fifth anniversary I’d probably never end up doing it so I’m glad I did.”

Lee described the Slydigs gig as ‘uncharted territory’ since the last Warrington band to headline the Parr Hall in terms of an independent booking was Exile Parade back in 2007.

But his show of faith has been met with around 700 tickets sold in the 1,100 capacity venue.

Lee said: “There were definite nerves but people have really bought into what we’re trying to do.

“I think the scene the strongest it’s been for a while. There are a lot really good bands that are releasing quality tracks and playing quality shows around the north west. We’re no longer a small town in the shadow of Manchester and Liverpool. We’ve got our own style and our own talent coming through.”

  • Slydigs headline the Parr Hall with special guests The Winachi Tribe and support from Psyblings and The Ks. Tickets are £11.75. Visit pyramidparrhall.com