SOUL and R'n'B band Blind Lemon are gearing up for their 10th anniversary celebrations with a revamped website and a special Christmas gig at the weekend.

The popular Wyre Forest six piece will be at one of their regular haunts, The Kingsford in Wolverley, on Saturday for their annual Christmas party.

And anyone wanting to know more about the band can log on to their new and improved website at www.blindlemon.co.uk, which has been revamped in response to the number of fans accessing the site skyrocketing.

"We've gone from having five or six hits a week to about 100, which we think is pretty good," said founder member and guitarist Nick McCarthy.

"What we have tried to do is promote it more at gigs and people have been going and having a look.

"There is also a subscription service where people sign up and we send them details of gigs we are doing locally."

The website also features contacts for all of the band members, a news section and photographs taken at gigs while a downloads section offers CD quality MP3s and CDs and t-shirts can also be ordered.

The band hit the Shuttle/Times & News headlines last month when 10-year-old Sam Pagett fulfilled his father John's dying wish by performing the tenor sax he had bequeathed to him to play three songs on stage with them.

Nick added celebrations are in store for the band in 2003.

"Next year we will be celebrating 10 years together with the current line-up.

"In that time we have added a keyboard player but no-one has left. We think that kind of consistency is pretty rare for bands these days!

"We're planning to celebrate that in some shape or form with a big anniversary bash," he said.

Tickets are selling fast for the band's Christmas party at The Kingsford this weekend and can be obtained by calling 01562 850428.