With just a week to go to the Leeds Festival the city is warming up with its second annual fringe event.

The seven-day shindig features gigs at bars, clubs and on the streets of the main shopping district.

And this year’s expanded showcase of up and coming talent will include one band from the Huddersfield area.

Mirfield trio Propane Penny have been selected to play the final day of Metal Fringe (August 19-21) at new venue Empire.

Bass player JP said they were delighted to get the opportunity to play such a big event.

He said: “It’s surprising we’ve been picked considering we’re not metal at all.

“The whole thing’s not entirely metal, it’s a decent mix, only the Saturday’s metal.

“To get on any event at Leeds Festival Fringe is pretty good.

“We’re getting half an hour, so we’ll throw seven songs into that.

“It’s always exciting to get to play a new venue, bigger venues, better gigs, that’s what you do it for.”

The pop punk/ska rock band formed after meeting at work in 2009.

Drummer Chris said 2011 was proving to be a breakthrough year.

He said: “We’ve played a better calibre of venues.

“The first year or so it was just pubs.

“2011’s been the best year so far,” added JP.

“This year’s been about playing different gigs rather than the same nights to the same people.”

Frontman, John “Flash” Gordon, said they had changed their strategy and it was bringing in bigger crowds.

He said: “We were recently advised that we were saturating our own market as we were playing so many gigs, especially in Leeds.

“It wasn’t a novelty to be able to see us so people weren’t coming down.

“As soon as we cut back the gigs the attendances really improved.

“We’ve played a lot better stuff.

“We played the 360 club and that was really good.”

JP added: “And we played the Cockpit supporting a signed band who are huge in America and Australia, Sick Puppies.

“It was a chance to go to the Cockpit and play in front of a crowd and we got Facebook and Twitter fans off the back of that, which just shows if you can get in front of a crowd that’s what you need.

“We’re doing South Leeds stadium for the Hunslet Hawks v Halifax game for the pre-match and half time entertainment.

“It’s a random one but there’ll be people there.”

After building a decent local following the lads said they were hoping to build their fan base further afield.

JP said: “The next step is to get outside of West Yorkshire but you need to find a local band who you can go down and play with.

“There’s no point headlining a show yourself as no one’s going to turn up.

“You’ve got to make the right contacts first but things are in the pipeline and we definitely want to do it.”

The band, who have been compared to Blink 182 and the Gaslight Anthem are also planning to release an EP and said they hoped people would appreciate their diversity.

JP said: “You might find it hard to pigeon hole us.

“If we want to do a pop punk song, we’ll do a pop punk song, we can go ska, and we’ve got one that’s the softest end of metal.”

Chris added: “The best way of describing the music is it’s just a big mix of everything we’re in to.

“Personally I think there’s nothing worse than going to see a band and every song sounding the same.”

Propane Penny play Metal Fringe at Empire on Sunday, August 19.

Leeds Festival Fringe is supporting Martin House Children’s Hospice.

www.leedsfestivalfringe.org