Confidence and charisma are essential ingredients for the success of any band, and Prime Cut displayed plenty of both qualities when they excited a London pub crowd to unaccustomed bouts of public cheering.

Normally pub audiences stand gawping sullenly at bands and remain impervious to the most dazzling displays of musicianship and even the use of smoke and flash bombs. Prime Cut used none of these gimmicks, and yet managed to get the kind of appreciation and demands for encores you might expect from a headliner at the Hammersmith Odeon.

The appeal of the band lies in their refreshing enthusiasm, lack of pretention, good looks and feeling for all kinds of rock, from R&B to a touch of reggae. They played a few well known standards, and mixed in their own imaginative songs, delivered with equal verve and conviction.

Johnny uses a lot of echo in his Fender Strat, and complained later about getting a bad sound on the cramped stage, but it sounded fine to fans crowded up front, and he added to the excitement by playing some suitably atmospheric stuff on his nearby Yamaha synth to lead in some of the arrangements.

Andy is a nimble and intelligent bass player. Like many bass players he is sturdy and yeoman, tall and impressive-looking, and he is the youngest member. He explained later that the band have been together for about eight months and apart from gigging round the pubs spend a lot of time rehearsing at Smithfield market. His bass lines, locked together with guitar riffes from Johnny and Pete's wailing harmonica gave flesh and substance to old favourites like the Yardbirds' classic 'Wish You Would' and other R&B revivals like 'Round And Around'.

They have some potential hit singles in their own material. All the band need now, is the right record company, and a manager. Up until now they have been receiving a lot of help and encouragement from drummer Brian Davison, who is virtually the fifth man in the group.

MUSWELL HILL rock band Prime Cut are staging a benefit gig tomorrow (Saturday) to make up for all the disappointment suffered by the group and their fans at last week's Alexandra Park Charity Spectacular.

Leigh Tarrant, bass guitarist with the four-piece band, said the gig at the 'Queens Head' pub, Regents Park Road, Finchley, at 8pm, "is a big thank you to all our fans who turned up but couldn't watch us play."

"The first day was rained off, and on the Sunday, after four hours of setting up equipment, we managed to do three songs - then all the power and the lights were turned off," said Leigh, who along with drummer Paul (Chops) Cuthbert, lives in Clifton Road, Muswell Hill.

"We were told we were too loud, but they had big brass bands and boys' brigade bands, who were really loud, playing throughout the day. We pulled out of the last day, because it wasn't worth us doing it."

Apart from disappointing around 70-plus of their relatives and fans who had paid 75p each to see them - the band ended up considerably out of pocket after hiring an expensive PA system from friends in Brighton.

To make up for last week's upset, the band plan to play two one-hour sets at the Queens Head - including popular numbers of theirs like 'Strange Dream', 'Can't Sleep Anymore' and 'Don't Count On The Boys'.

Lead vocalist Peter Bloomfield, from Bounds Green, and lead guitarist/synthesiser player Johnny Jones, from New Southgate, complete the band who began in 1979, and have an average age of 23 years.

The group have played at such top-notch venues as The Embassy Club and The Rock Garden, and hope to fix up a Summer season in Spain before eventually concentrating full-time on music.