THE last people anyone would expect to see playing in a back garden in leafy Heswall is top indie band The Zutons - but that’s what happened after a Wirral man won an online competition.

Long-time fan Adam Shone, 23, had recently returned from backpacking around the world when he decided to enter a Q music magazine competition. The prize was that the band would come and play for free - in his garden. A few weeks later Adam, from Irby Road, was informed that he’d won and the band would be turning up to perform a gig in a few days time.

“I was over the moon to get the news,” said Adam (pictured).

“I was screaming like a girl!”

Dad Alan, 55, said: “We had to try to keep it secret as we didn’t want thousands of people turning up on our doorstep, so we invited about 60 to 70 close friends and neighbours.

“We are quite used to having parties, as we have quite a big garden, but I don’t think the band knew quite what to expect.”

The Zutons formed in Liverpool in 2001 and became a prominent member of the Liverpool indie music scene. They recently released their third album ‘You Can Do Anything’ and supported Paul McCartney at the Capital of Culture celebrations at Anfield on June 1.

They also have a reputation built on tiny gigs and sudden festival appearances and this summer will see their first UK tour in two years.

Having recently played Glastonbury they are also amongst other dates scheduled to play seven gigs in forest settings - as part of the Forestry Commission’s Forest Tour. Alan said: “They were a bit reluctant at first and quite apprehensive, but by the end of the night Dave McCabe the lead singer said it was the best gig he’d done all year!”

Music lover Alan, who also saw Bob Marley play before he died and went to see Eddie Grant in Tobago for the millennium celebrations, added: “The evening was a great success. The road crew arrived mid-afternoon and began setting up and the band arrived at 6.30pm.

“We fired up the barbecue and there wasn’t one person there who didn’t have a really good time. There was nothing pretentious about the night. They played for about an hour and stayed chatting for a while after that.

"It was just a really genuine nice crowd and I think the guys were just happy to chill out and have a few beers and a burger.

“Life’s just made up of random moments and this was definitely one of them.”

You can see the gig on You Tube by keying in: Back Garden Gig, Heswall, May 14.