A YARNTON musician, who gave up his dream of fame 25 years ago, has been given a second shot at stardom.

Keith Hyde, 55, stopped playing with his band, Jeep, in 1984 when their brand of ‘blues folk rock’ failed to make it past a couple of radio plays.

But now, thanks to a competition on Absolute Radio, the five-man band are on the cusp of realising their dream.

The band have made it through to the final three acts in the station’s One Last Dream Competition and, if they clinch first prize, will share a stage with Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and The Killers at the Hard Rock Calling festival in London’s Hyde Park on Saturday, June 27.

Mr Hyde said his bandmate, 60-year-old drummer Kelvin Purcell, entered the competition after his son-in-law heard about it on DJ Christian O’ Connell’s breakfast show.

He said: “Three of us have kept in touch, but it wasn’t hard to get everyone back together.

“A few of us have a bit less hair, but the spirit is definitely still there.”

Mr Hyde remembers playing a gig in Brize Norton, west Oxfordshire, but said that the band mainly, played around West London.

He said: “We used to play in a pub in West Drayton where, unknown to us, Shane MacGowan from The Pogues used to regularly watch us play.

“It’s been great to get back together and play again.

“The buzz, I can’t even explain it.

I can’t believe all this has happened.”

To vote for Jeep, visit absoluteradio.co.uk and click on competitions.

The winning band will be announced tomorrow.