The Never, with a name loosely based around the 1980s movie The Never-Ending Story, were one of 11 competing bands in the annual Battle of the Bands.

The band performed two of their original songs, Thursdays are like Mondays and 400 Questions, plus two covers, Lazy Sunday Afternoon by Small Faces and Buy me a Pony by Spiderbait.

The three young men, who formed the band in 2008, have surprisingly old school tastes in music, preferring The Beatles, The Doors, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones to the current crop of recording bands.

Drummer Kendall Francis admits to having a great liking for the late Janis Joplin.

“We’re out of touch with modern music, it’s mainly c**p with a formula less concerned about art than about generating money,” Kendall stated frankly.

Lead guitarist Zach has been playing the guitar for the majority of his 19 years, being self-taught, beginning with a generic brand acoustic guitar and a how to play guitar book at age five.

His two band-mates have not held a musical interest over such a long period.

Kendall originally began playing guitar but moved to drums in 2006 feeling that he had a more natural aptitude in percussion while Alex only took up bass guitar in the past year. The band haven’t let their success go to their heads and have long-term goals that don’t necessarily revolve around music, believing that a music career should be pursued from an already secure base.

Their prize in BOBFEST was a $1000 recording session which will see The Never produce a six track extended play CD which will be launched at Northern Sound Systems in Elizabeth in 2010.

They have also established a Facebook profile and invite anyone who is interested to become an online friend of The Never.

Fame may be waiting somewhere in the wings for these three talented young men.

Even Jim Morrison and The Doors had humble beginnings. The future is an exciting possibility.

PHOTO: ROCKING OUT...

Rehearse, rehearse and rehearsing again has paid off for Peterborough youth band The Never who won BOBFEST 2009 at Burra on April 4. Pictured are band members Zach Rushton, left, Kendall Francis and Alex Watkins. The band admits to a preference for more classic rock such as The Doors, Rolling Stones and the Beatles, feeling that modern music is more concerned with generating wealth than making an artistic statement.