LOCAL hitmaker Lil Chris is to undertake his first gig at the Ocean Rooms, Gorleston tomorrow and he will be supported by up and coming support band Area 15.

LOCAL hitmaker Lil Chris is to undertake his first gig at the Ocean Rooms, Gorleston tomorrow and he will be supported by up and coming support band Area 15.

The lad from Lowestoft hit umber three in the pop charts with Checkin' in out and had the top summer album of 2006.

Chris at only 16 was made famous by rock star from Kiss, Gene Simmons who came to Kirkley High School, Lowestoft and put a school rock band together which was shown on TV called Rock School . Chris was then signed to RCA records for his first release and was McFly's support act on its national arena tour.

His album went gold and has recently been on Celebrity Scissorhands and has his own TV programme. Chris is currently on a major tour playing universities and venues around the UK to sell out audiences.

He said: “I was a really fat. I used to roll around like a Weeble. Now, of course, I'm just a skinny weed.”

He says: My music is not hardcore rock, but not full-on pop, either. It's got an 80s, new wave sort of sound but I'm not ashamed to be pop. All anyone wants is for people to hear their music.”

Growing up in Lowestoft with his mum, dad, older sister and younger brother, Chris' entire life has been soundtracked by music, thanks to his parents' record collection.

He said: “They had loads of Whitesnake, Deep Purple, AC/DC. As well as the music, what I loved about a lot of those bands was their sense of performance, putting on a show. They weren't scared of making a spectacle of themselves.”

The first record Chris bought with his own money was a Now that's what I call music compilation while his favourite gig of all time was The Darkness in Sheffield.

He said: “Justin Hawkins went to the same school as me. Justin's pictures are plastered around the school. Will they replace them with pictures of me? I hope so”

Since Rock School propelled him to stardom, Chris hooked up with Ray Hedges who had produced UK punk group Towers Of London - one of Chris's favourite bands, and began writing and recording an album's worth of pop tunes full of enough hooks for Chris to hang up each and every one of his beloved baseball caps.

Doors open at the Ocean Rooms at 7.30pm tickets are available at £10, telephone the Ocean Rooms 01493 667890

For more information log on to: www.lilchris.co.uk

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