The Burnley band flying high after Battle of the Bands triumph

A five-piece indie-rock band from Burnley have been making waves in recent months and are in the midst of celebrating their victory at the 2026 Battle of the Bands at St Mary’s Centre.

The Moors, composed of vocalist Louie Boden, rhythm guitarist Liam Pennington, lead guitarist Max Tipton, bassist Andre Cumberbatch and drummer Alfie Lingard, played their first show at The Ramp in Horwich on February 13th. The five-piece supported Silver Street on their headline show, with Joel Sansom opening the night as a solo act.

In the months since, The Moors have played another seven shows, honing their sound further and victory at St Mary’s Centre was the icing on the cake. “Winning the Battle of the Bands 2026 at St Mary’s Chambers was a massive moment for us and gave us some great exposure, especially with the opportunity to play at The Deaf Institute. We also played at Colne Blues Festival, which was another fantastic experience for all of us and our second festival as a band,” the band told the Express.

The five-piece have opted to take a short break in the month of September, but are aiming to hit the ground running in October. “We’ve got a few gigs lined up going forward, including a show at The Deaf Institute, which we’re really looking forward to. We’re still looking to get as much experience as we can playing live music, developing as a band and hopefully getting our music in front of more people,” the band said.

The rise in the number of tribute bands performing in the East Lancashire area has been a point of contention in recent months, especially with the struggles facing the grassroots music scene and the lack of focus on original music well-documented. However, The Moors are openly embracing the challenge. “As a band, we feel that seeing other musicians perform has pushed us to become better players and performers. Watching the ability of other bands and seeing how they sound and perform live gives us something to learn from and motivates us to keep improving,” they stated.

To compound the problems at grassroots level, the closure of The Loom in Burnley was a massive blow to the original music ecosystem, given their willingness to push original bands. But how has the loss of venues like The Loom changed the game for bands trying to find a stage?

“At first, finding gigs to play in Burnley was very limited. A lot of pubs don’t have PA systems available, and finding suitable venues and the right contacts was also a challenge. Our first gig in Burnley was at Penny Black, where we played to help raise money for Pendleside Hospice. The money from the ticket sales helped cover the cost of renting a PA system, which made the opportunity possible.

“Scott from Walker Audio Design was fantastic in helping us understand what equipment we needed and getting everything set up for us. It was a great learning experience and helped us understand some of the challenges that come with putting on live shows ourselves.

“Looking ahead, we’re also playing at The Sanctuary Bar in October with The Forge FTV. It’s great to see people and organisations still putting the effort into creating opportunities for original bands in the local area,” the band concluded.