Bradford rockers Gypsy had quite a ride last year - what with winning Battle of the Bands and playing a couple of high profile gigs to crowds of thousands - and tonight the lads are back on the road.

With a growing local and international following behind them, and interest coming in from record companies, the band is going places. So when I call drummer Stu Lockwood I'm expecting him to emerge from a cloud of dry ice dressed in Spandex, a bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand and a denim-clad rock chick in the other.

"I'm glad you rang, it gives me a break from fixing the light on my trailer - just another glamorous day in the life of a rock 'n' roller!" he laughs. "Things are looking great for the band, but we haven't quite reached the stage where we can give up our day jobs."

Gypsy formed two years ago and have barely had time to tie their bandanas since. Last year they won Bradford's Battle of the Bands, earning them a slot at The Pulse Party in the Park.

They joined a line-up that included Liberty X, Charlotte Church, Jo O'Meara and one Chesney Hawkes who ended up enlisting Gypsy's help for an impromptu performance.

"Girls Aloud didn't play so Chesney stepped in and extended his set, " says Stu. "Next thing we knew he'd got our bassist on stage, as well as our drum kit and guitar!

"We were stunned by the fantastic crowd reaction, playing to 25,000 people was the highlight of our year."

Next came Bradford's Christmas lights switch-on ceremony in Centenary Square when Gypsy joined Lesley Joseph, who's starring in the Alhambra panto, and X Factor finalist Chenai Zinuku on stage.

"It was a great atmosphere and opened us up to a new, younger audience, " says Stu. "We want to appeal to a wide fan base so it's been great to play to pop crowds.

"Playing live is our passion, we get everybody involved and although we take the music seriously the emphasis is on entertaining. A Gypsy gig is a real visual event."

The band describe their sound as somewhere between Queen and Guns N Roses and combine their own material with covers of classics from bands like Metallica, Skid Row and Van Halen.

"We work on songwriting together, often it's a case of sitting around with a couple of beers and a guitar, but we're happy to throw in covers too, " says Stu. "We all knew each other from different bands but came together because there didn't seem to be any fun in music anymore. A lot of the bands around today are excellent musicians but take it all far too seriously. We admire bands like The Darkness who have a sense of fun and mischief. We grew up listening to Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and Queen, that's the kind of scene we want to put back into music.

"Bradford always had a thriving rock scene but it faded in the mid-Nineties when a lot of the old haunts vanished. There's always been something burning though."

The other members of Gypsy are vocalist Mick Norbury, guitarist Andy Ledder and bassist Darren Dodds who replaced Paul White.

"Me and Andy work in offices, Mick's an electrician and Darren's a postman, " says Stu. "It pays the bills but ideally we'd like a record deal. We know that doesn't come overnight though, you have to work at it if you really want it. Some bands want instant fame, a lot come through the stage school route and you get the impression that if they don't become a soap star they'll be a pop star, or vice versa. But if music is your passion it's important to get the experience of playing live to different crowds."

After a hectic 2005, Gypsy have been working on new material and are about to hit the road again.

"We did about 50 gigs last year and now we're now back doing what we love, playing live, " says Stu.

"We recorded a five-track EP recorded last summer which has received some very favourable reviews. Some tracks have been played across Europe on a Belgian rock show and we've had record companies asking for demos.

"Our popularity astounded us last year and now we're hoping to build on our loyal following with even more exciting live shows - and having a laugh along the way."

For more details about the band visit www.Gypsy-Rock. com.