The Black Knights are finally on the road to stardom.

Not so long ago they were just five Northern lads trying - and failing - to make the big time; a band no one had ever heard of, with nothing else to do except keep chasing a seemingly unattainable dream.

But then along came Phil Martins, a streetwise roadie determined to turn them into a proper band. Suddenly, courtesy of Phil, they have everything they could ever want: drink, drugs, girls - and, finally, a recording contract.

But fame comes at a price, and someday soon they'll have to pay.

Trevor Hoyle