A rocking celebration was in order for a Borehamwood band who stormed to victory in a battle of the bands competition last week.

Indie rock group The Black List sailed through the early rounds beating more than 50 bands to reach the final and eventually triumphed as winners of the 13th Battle of the Bands competition, held at The Horn pub, in St Albans.

The group of four rocked their way past three other entrants last Thursday night to claim a £500 prize and the chance to perform in front of a packed audience and members of the music industry who judged the band’s set.

Lead singer Peter Saunders, 25, of Torworth Road, said: “Unfortunately we pulled straws to go last, which none of us were happy with. The place was packed out and there was a really good atmosphere. All the bands were really good and performed really well which made our win all the sweeter.

“We really had no idea after our performance who was going to win but when we heard it was us, there was plenty of hugging and we celebrated late into the night.”

Mr Saunders’ 23-year-old brother Lee, of Weatherby Road, plays drums in the band with Dan Percival, 24, of Gateshead Road, on guitar and Gary Dobson, 24, on bass. The group formed in September last year.

With high hopes for the future, Mr Saunders added: “We are going to be writing new songs, increasing our repertoire and doing bigger sets. We also want to start playing in different venues in and around London. It is brilliant to put on our CV and have that recognition from industry professionals.

“We put so much time and effort into it so it is great to know others like our songs.”

The next big gig booked for the band will be headlining a Battle of the Bands celebration gig at The Horn in February. Previous winners of the competition have been Enter Shikari and The Subways, who have both performed at major music festivals including Glastonbury.

Hansi Koppe, promoter of the competition at The Horn, said: “It was a great night and a really packed house. There were four great bands but the judges were pretty much unanimous in their decision that The Black List should be crowned the winners.”

For more information about The Black List, visit myspace.com/theblacklistlondon