YOUNG bands wowed their peers at a free open-air music festival last night.

Darlington bands The Felons, Belladonna, The Brass Bandits and Bubblegum Thrash performed in Darlington town centre in front of hundreds of teenage fans.

The night was kicked off by acoustic singer-songwriter Andy Tunstall.

The free festival, the first Yo-Yo-Newblood Live Festival, was organised by the borough council's youth services and the town's Forum music centre.

Dan McKeown, events manager at The Forum, said: "This is great. It is superb. This is the kind of thing I wish we had when I was younger.

"It is great for kids to come down and enjoy music."

The concert was to promote the Youth Offer -a list every council has to produce of its youth activities and events provided by the private, public and voluntary sector.

The town's Youth Offer will be completed by early next year.

The three-hour festival also links with the regular Newblood Live sessions at The Forum, which showcase young bands from the town.

The fortnightly shows were launched after a similar free festival in March.

For more information about Darlington's Youth Offer, go to www.darlington.gov.uk/ evibe