WHEN it comes to punk idols, the name of The Clash immediately springs to mind.

So it was an honour for Newton band dBd to follow in their footsteps on Sunday when they played the legendary Hammersmith Palais.

A hotbed for punk rock, ska and reggae in the 1970s, it was made famous by The Clash when they named one of their songs, (White Man) in the Hammersmith Palais, after the venue.

Since then, it has seen unforgettable appearances from the likes of the Sex Pistols, U2 and Oasis - and now dBd.

The group supported Sham 69 in a slot that coincided with the release of their first album, Nobody's Heroes, in the UK.

The band's management have also struck a distribution deal with music giants Sony, who will release the album in 12 different countries.

Lee Gallagher, dBd drummer, said: "We've been pretty busy. We've been writing a lot of new songs and playing gigs outside of the area.

"But it's always nice to play back at home."

And Newton fans won't have to wait long as dBd announced they will headline the Friday night of the forthcoming Newton Music Festival, on July 2, before flying out to the States for a second US tour in October.