DRAWING on funky-edged influences from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Jimi Hendrix is fast paying off for Tokyo Jo.

The fast-rising four-piece are in a rich vein of form in the wake of their triumph at a major unsigned band competition in the county last year.

They saw off strong competition from more than 150 acts to take the title, gaining praise for their frenetic, no-nonsense style and their furious gigs have been gaining a strong following in the county.

"It was great to win that competition. Though we were sounding good, we just weren’t expecting that to happen and it meant we could buy a new drum kit for the band," explained bass player Nick Whiteoak.

The 23-year-old added that the group, who hail from Herne Bay, Rochester and Gravesend thrive on playing live and have honed their sound over the last couple of years. This summer is a big one for them with a gig this weekend at the Command House in Chatham preceding a UK tour with hotly-tipped US band Movies with Heroes.

"We are really looking forward to the tour. Our gigs are often pretty crazy - our singer Ian rolls around like a nutter a lot of the time, leaving me and Steve to just keep things pumping along which is just fine," laughed Nick.

His first musical experiences were as a 12-year-old, playing bass to covers of Nirvana and Metallica songs with his brothers. He met one of his bandmates at a party and set about writing songs.

"Music is my life. It has been and always will be. Nothing makes me feel good like when I hear music."

To date, the band, who are named after a line in a Second World War film Nick saw as a teenager, have taken a refreshing approach to their craft. Having recorded a number of tracks at Ranscombe studios in Medway, they have decided to make them freely available on their Myspace internet page.

It’s not all been plain sailing though, as they recently found themselves making Kent Messenger headlines when their drummer Steve was assaulted.

One thing is for sure, life in Tokyo Jo is never going to be dull, and that’s the way they like it.

Tokyo Jo play Chatham Command House on May 26.