THE music business can be a cut-throat industry. But when it comes to local music scenes – especially those that veer towards alternative – all that competition goes out of the window.

It is all about bands supporting and promoting each other – and Huddersfield groups JOK and Shambolic are doing just that.

When alternative/garage rock band JOK decided to play a mini tour, they asked Shambolic to come along for the ride as support act.

The two bands will play London’s Bull and Gate venue on Thursday , the Cardigan Arms in Leeds on Fridayand Bar 1:22 in Huddersfield on Saturday .

JOK are a band with Huddersfield roots, but like many musicians seeking success, they have migrated to London.

The band was founded by Dave Tomlinson, formerly of indie band X and Tinstar.

Originally, JOK was just an outlet for his own quirky ideas, but over the years it has become a full-blown group featuring Huddersfield born guitarist Tim Bricheno, who has played with All About Eve and Sisters of Mercy, plus Huddersfield born bass player Kieran Heneghan, formerly of Frogs of War and drummer Tony Kiley, of Blow Monkeys fame.

They are now based in North London and are busy creating music which they sounds like ‘Foo Fighters imagined by David Lynch’.

JOK have just put out their latest CD album entitled Lamp Post Bouquet, which was recorded and mixed in just two days.

It’s their third album and the most focused from the Jok stable so far.

It is just starting to receive radio play support from London’s XFM radio.

The most immediate favourites on the new album are Marg Party and Haunted.

The mood and style of the new album harks back to the inventive post punk of the late 70s mixed in with the classic garage bands of the 60s.

Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson has been talking up the band on his BBC 6Music show, branding their music “rough and raw garage rock”.

All three JOK albums – Strangers Have The Best Candy, El Amigo Jok and Lamp Post Bouquet – are available to buy on iTunes.

Find out more at www.unnaturalrecords.co.uk or www.myspace.com/elamigojok

Support act Shambolic also have a new CD out, called Dancing Out Of Step.

Huddersfield boys Pete Dukes, on bass and vocals, guitarist Richard Heeley, guitarist Jonathan Wakefield and drummer Matt Washington have been performing together since 1995.

Keeping a band together for 14 years is no mean feat.

But all the Shambolic boys seem to be reading from the same page.

Matt said: “Why do we do it? We love it!.

“We play the kind of music we’d like to see bands such as us play – rather than cover bands, or the generic indie bands that seem to be rife at the moment.”

Shambolic are influenced by artists including Joy Division, Stiff Little Fingers, Stooges, The Smiths, The Godfathers, Fugazi, Faith No More and contemporary indie such as Interpol and Bloc Party.

It seems a long time since they produced their first CD Wondering Why in 1998, with a Lottery grant no less.

But the band are excited about the release of their latest offering this summer.

It will be downloadable from iTunes and Amazon, so keep your eyes and ears peeled!

To find out more, visit www.myspace.com/shambolicband