ROCK stars of the future got to polish their live performance skills in special concerts staged in Deptford.

The bands which made the line-up of the Count Me In showcase nights raised the roof of the Albany Theatre.

Students from six boroughs in south-east London, including Bexley, Lewisham and Greenwich, were shown the ropes of the music industry as part of the school curriculum.

For many up-and-coming musicians the series of concerts, co-ordinated by Rockschool, was their first chance to show off the newly-honed skills.

The students, who were encouraged to break off and form bands within their school groups, were given hands- on experience on how to market themselves and make some cash from the fickle industry.

On the first night bands formed by Lewisham pupils rocked the house.

Anonymous was a band formed by students from Lewishams Sedghill School, in Catford. Students from Northbrook Church of England School, in Lee, created the sounds of The Lyrical Outlaws and Forest Hill Secondary School students were Elite.

Greenwich students performed on the final day, with Eltham Hill Technology College students striking a tune as Eclipse, and pupils from Blackheath Bluecoats School, made up the group Blue.

The gigs were a great success according to Rockschool general manager, Kathy Wells.

She said: I think some of the kids involved in this project will have become household names in a few years time. The concerts were really successful. The kids got a chance to show what they had learned during the past few months and how their hard work had paid off.