SCREAMING girls and festive fireworks marked a very loud start to Christmas in Basingstoke’s Festival Place.

Basingstoke boy band Concept received a rapturous reception from their fans at the Christmas light switch-on event, in Festival Square, last Friday night.

The X Factor contestants joined Father Christmas, his elves and TV presenter Keith Chegwin in starting a spectacular 10-minute fireworks display above the shopping centre.

It all proved too much for some fans, with centre director Steven Connolly reporting that two girls fainted during Concept’s pre-fireworks performance.

Concept, made up of Karim Newton, Ben Selley, Scott Dicks, Nathan Gittens and Matt Goodenough, performed at the event last year, but 12 months on, the band have seen their popularity soar after their appearance on this year’s The X Factor, where they reached the Judges’ Houses stage.

Speaking before they took to the Basingstoke stage, Scott told The Gazette: “It has been a bit crazy this year, but we have really been looking forward to coming back and doing this.

“We would all go to the Christmas lights switch-on, in Basingstoke, when we were younger, and now we are playing here.”

The entertainment started with a performance from 90 members of Basingstoke Rock Choir, who sang pop songs and a Christmas medley.

Local duo Common Ground, who won the shopping centre’s Festival Factor talent competition last year, were next on stage, followed by Concept’s 15-minute set which included their song Young and Rebellious.

And then Cheggers, who will play Buttons in The Gazette-sponsored Cinderella pantomime at The Anvil this year, held a bum-wiggling competition before throwing Christmas chocolate selection boxes to the crowd.

The popular broadcaster was then joined by all the acts, as well as Father Christmas and two elves, for the countdown to the big switch on.

Mr Connolly said: “It was fantastic, and we have had some great feedback from the crowd. Concept had more screaming girls here than we have ever had at this event.”