Ilkley could soon be set to reclaim its rock'n'roll heritage as plans take off to turn the King's Hall into a hotbed of concert activity.

Following Irish band Ash's triumphant sell-out gig at the venue last week, rock groups are said to be looking at Ilkley as a serious tour date option.

Bradford heavy metal group Terrorvision have already announced a gig at the hall on Saturday, January 13, with many more bands apparently set to follow.

The Ash gig was the first such in the town since 1967 when Jimi Hendrix's set at the former Gyro Club was famously stopped by police after just two songs.

Colin Oliver, who staged last Thursday's gig and who owns the Cockpit in Leeds, said he would like to put on at least five gigs a year at the King's Hall.

"If I could put five on a year in Ilkley that would be a result," he said. "It's an unusual venue to do and I think bands get a lot of satisfaction from playing places where people don't normally get to see them. I think the only bands that would play there would be well-established ones."

He said the success of the Ash gig proved that Ilkley was ripe for such a venture. "We are a professional outfit and we know what we are doing. We would make sure that everything runs very smoothly," he added.

Stars currently being mooted for the 500-capacity venue include rock legend Robert Plant, singer/songwriter Billy Bragg and Gomez, who famously recorded their debut Mercury Prize-winning album in the town.

The news was welcomed by Tony Sakkos, owner of Wharfe Valley Music, who said his guitar-selling business was booming since the gig.

He said: "It's a good thing for young people because they have never had anything so exciting before. It's going to bring a lot of trade and money into Ilkley - it's got to be good for the community."

And Miggy Bailey, secretary of the Friends of the King's Hall Group, which recently helped to refurbish the venue, said it was a great idea. "From a personal point of view I would rather see something like that than some of the big sales that are held there," she said. "It is perfect for concerts and the hall should cater to a variety of tastes."

She urged concert promoters to consider giving a donation to the Friends group to enable them to make further improvements to the hall.

The Ash gig was hailed a huge success by both the band and fans. During their set lead singer Tim Wheeler called the King's Hall 'a cool venue' and speaking afterwards, guitarist Charlotte Hatherley, 21, said the concert had been the best so far of their

21-date tour.

"I really enjoyed it. It was my personal favourite," she said. "It was for me the best crowd. It's much better playing smaller gigs. The crowd gets more out of it as well."

Drummer Rick McMurray, 25, was equally full of praise: "I thought it was amazing - a really good show," he said. "It's nice to give something back to the small places. Tonight was one of the better ones."

After the show, concert-goers said they would like to see more gigs in Ilkley. "It's good to have a bit of live music in Ilkley," said 22-year-old Matt Palmer, of Wyvil Crescent. "We need more of it."

And Linda Spinks, 14, of Main Street, Addingham, agreed: "It was a wicked gig," she said. "I'd love to see more bands playing in Ilkley."

And unlike with Hendrix, there was no police involvement this time. "I can confirm that no incidents were reported regarding the concert," said a spokesman for Ilkley Police.

l For full review of the Ash concert see Entertainments page.

l Tickets for the Terrorvision gig are available, priced at £12.50, from Wharfe Valley Music on (01943) 816151.