A SELF-taught guitarist from Kidderminster living his dream by paying tribute to his musical heroes in U2 is looking forward to his sound-a-like band's first gig in his home district.

Daz Keen of yoU2 prides himself on the similarity between the sound he and his role model, The Edge, create.

He is such an authority on the subject that he advises guitarists from all over the world, particularly America, on how to emulate it via the website, U2 Sound Forum.

Anyone wishing to judge his expertise for themselves need not surf the net to do so, however, as yoU2 are set to play at The Talbot Inn in Bewdley next Friday, June 3.

The band, which also comprises Worcester-based drummer, Chris Harvey, Black Country bassist, Craig Belmore and singer, Paul McGahan, who hails from Bono's home country of Ireland, is also performing at The Gainsborough Hotel next Thursday in the hope of being placed on the books of Upfront Entertainment Agency.

Kidderminster born-and-bred 29-year-old Daz, who works as a scaffolder, told the Shuttle/Times and News he was hoping to be a full-time musician by next year and said his work with yoU2 was "like a dream come true".

Adding he had been a "massive" U2 fan since 1983, he said: "It's my uncle's fault."

He explained: "He bought a U2 video and had always had a guitar knocking around that I used to mess about with as a kid. When I got to the age of 14 I could pick some of the sounds up and it just escalated from there.

"I'm self-taught really and now I can listen to any song by ear and play it."

On the issue of next week's Wyre Forest gigs, he said he had played at the Talbot Inn in various other bands, including The Fleet, The Big Something and The Free Radicals, but said yoU2 were virgins to the venue.

"If this visit to Kidderminster comes off it will be fantastic," he said. "One, we'll get more gigs out of it and two, at The Talbot I'll get to play in front of a lot of family and friends so it's kind of special."

More information is available at www.you2.pwp.blue yonder.co.uk, while the Talbot can be contacted on 01299 402273.