POP wannabe Nikk Mager made a homecoming visit to Huddersfield - and brought the rest of his new band.

Phixx was formed from the five losers of the Popstars: The Rivals TV show.

They performed at Huddersfield Grammar School yesterday, where Nikk was a pupil until three years ago.

Teenage girls went weak at the knees when the five-strong boy band took to the stage - the boys weren't so starstruck, but still seemed to enjoy the music!

Nikk, 19, from Greetland, said: "It is great to be home. It is nice to wake up to fields, there's none of that in London.

"It is quite a small venue but it's been great. We got a good response. It is good to see familiar faces and old teachers. Just three years ago I was where these kids are now."

Nikk has been writing songs with fellow band members Andrew Kinlochan, Mikey Green, Chris Park and Peter Smith since losing Popstars.

They are signed to the Concept Music record label and worked with writers such as Lee Ryan from Blue, Bryan McFadden of Westlife and John McLaughlin - who shot Busted and Blue to fame.

Nikk also revealed that Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor is remixing their debut single, Hold On Me, which is released on October 27.

"It is just incredible that he wants to work with us," he said.

Phixx did two shows at the school, one for younger pupils and another for the older children.

They opened their performances with support act Misty, who are promoting a single, TV show and book of the same name.

Phixx then sang two songs, the final one was Hold On Me and incorporated a performance without accompaniment which impressed their former teachers.

Their single has already been played on major radio stations and went down well with the pupils at Huddersfield Grammar.

Annabelle Rollinson, 11, said: "It was really good and exciting."

Joe Wells, 12, said: "It was not really my thing but I did quite enjoy it. They were very good."

Sally Wells, 12, was the lucky winner of tickets to see boy band Blue in a competition run at the concert.

She said: "I thought Phixx were quite good and seemed nice."

Richard Swystun, also 12, said: "It was exciting. They performed really well."

Nikk said: "It was brilliant to be on stage. I hope they liked it."

He added that playing large venues and coping with fame has taken some getting used to.

He said: "I have always dreamed of seeing my name in The Sun and The Daily Star and now it is.

"They can print things that aren't true and it is scary sometimes. But you have to enjoy it while you can.

"It's taken me some time to get confidence and now I have it and I'm in a band where I'm happy. I hope this is the one, I hope we go top five."

Phixx will complete their current tour of schools, radio and TV shows and then head back into the studio to record an album - which is expected next Easter.

SINGLE REVIEW - Hold on Me (Phixx) - By Andrew Hirst

THOSE who remember the '80s may well pick up shades of Erasure bumping into Gary Numan on the dance floor here.

They then join forces for the chant-it-out chorus on a debut that sure is big in the melody department.

The single comes with a six-minute beefed-up Euro dance remix complete with galloping synths that try their hardest to raise the excitement to almost unbearable levels. Will it make the charts or not though? That's the big question. And the answer? . . . Yes.