IT was unheard of for a Welsh band to get signed before they'd played Newport city, but that's exactly what happened to Bridgend's Funeral For A Friend.

Before they'd played any gigs, in fact, a record company whisked them away to London on the strength of a demo tape. One NME Tour, support slots under Iron Maiden, and umpteen headline tours of their own later, Funeral For A Friend are playing Newport City Live Arena.

You'll find them in the still relatively new venue tomorrow, May 8, which undoubtedly is going to be a busy night in the city.

The band is touring on the back of their new single, The Art of American Football, released this Monday on Infectious. It's available at micro-sites via the likes of www.kerrang.com, www.nme.com and www.escapeartistsneverdie.cjb.net. Audio and video as well as digital art are available.

The live and explicit version of the band's popular track captures Funeral For A Friend at their sweaty prophetic best at London's Islington Academy. It features classic Iron Maiden guitar breaks, emo-like choruses and lots of shouting, as per the Funeral For A Friend mould.

Later this year the band play some of their biggest gigs to date at the Reading and Leeds festivals on Saturday, August 28, and Sunday, August 29 respectively.

Things just keep getting better for the band, who are riding a wave of rock revival that saw more guitars sold in 2003 than in any other year of the 20th century.

You can hear for yourself in Newport City Live Arena tomorrow, May 8.