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This time last year The Kabeedies were still honing their short, fast and punchy songs ahead of their first set in London.

Roll on a year, and the Norwich band are popping the champagne corks after hearing that they've been chosen to play at Glastonbury.

The news that the punky-popsters are to unleash their quirky tunes at the world's biggest music festival was announced on Radio 1 during a daytime show hosted by the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s new music champion Huw Stephens.

The Kabeedies in London

The four-piece are due to unfold one of their signature high-energy sets on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Introducing stage at the famous festival after being put forward by their local radio show, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Norfolk Introducing.

Prestigious panel

The group are one of 23 acts who will appear on the stage, after being cherry-picked by a panel which included Huw Stephens, Snow Patrol front man Gary Lightbody and The Observer Music Monthly editor Caspar Llewellyn-Smith.

For singer Katie Allard, bassist Rory Hill, guitarist Evan Jones and drummer Francis 'Fab' Bell, the Glastonbury announcement has been the pinnacle in a fantastic few months.

"We're really, really excited to be playing Glastonbury," said Rory, who is studying for a diploma in performing music at Norwich's Access To Music college.

"We weren't really expecting it. Our songs are really short and we've got to fill a 20-minute set so we might have to speed-write some material!"

The Ting Tings

One of the bands who excited the crowds gathered at Glastonbury's Introducing stage last year were Salford duo The Ting Tings, who have just topped both the singles and album charts.

It's a path that The Kabeedies - who brought out their first single, Lovers Ought To, in April - are hoping to emulate.

"We could end up as the next Ting Tings, which could be a lot of fun," said Rory.

Maida Vale

As part of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Introducing network of shows championing new local music, the band got to record a Maida Vale session in January for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Norfolk Introducing - weeks after it launched on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Norfolk - and importantly it was also aired on Radio 1, boosting the band's national fan base.

"We're really impressed with ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Norfolk Introducing - we can see what it's done for us and it's been great for other bands too," said Rory.

"There's such a good scene in Norwich and being able to get on the radio with the possibility of being played on national radio is great."

The Kabeedies will also play Latitude

Following on from the stint in the legendary West London studio, The Kabeedies have been featured on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ 6 Music and Janice Long's show on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 2, while Huw Stephens has asked them to play on his stage at Suffolk's Latitude festival this summer.

"The Maida Vale session was huge. It was really great being played on Radio 1 and useful being able to have those recordings and say they were made at Maida Vale," said Rory.

Friendly faces

Glastonbury - which runs from 27 to 29 June 2008 - may be more than 250 miles away but the band are still expecting to see some familiar faces as their friends Cheeky Cheeky And The Nosebleeds from Woodbridge in Suffolk have also been picked to perform.

"We saw them in London the other day and were chatting to them about Glastonbury - it will be good to have someone there that we know," said Rory.

"Glastonbury is huge for us, while Latitude is a home thing and there will be lots of people there who we know who we'll get to play to."