Popstars spark fan fever

The ability to sing live is a selling point of the band

More than 3,500 screaming fans turned out to meet pop phenomenon Hear'Say at a signing session to launch their debut single Pure and Simple.

People of all ages queued from 0800 GMT outside the HMV record shop in Oxford Circus, London, to meet the group.

The five members have spent weeks promoting the band and single after they were chosen from more than 3,000 hopefuls on the TV programme Popstars.

People of all ages queued

The single is tipped to go straight to the top of the charts with reported advance sales of 400,000 copies, but publicists for the band claim they will be more than happy if the song merely charts.

Kym Marsh, Suzanne Shaw, Danny Foster, Noel Sullivan and Myleene Klass played their first live concert at a nightclub in central London on Saturday night.

String of tunes

The audience was treated to live renditions of the group's single Pure and Simple, as well as B-side Bridge Over Troubled Water and a string of tunes from their first album, which was recorded in Norway last month.

The ability to sing live has been a selling point of the band as they attempt to sidestep accusations of being "manufactured".

On Saturday morning the band played live for the second time on the Saturday morning show CD:UK and recently gave a surprise live performance at the Brits.

The band embarked on a gruelling promotion schedule for the single.

They followed up their live concert with an appearance on the BBC Two programme Top of the Pops Plus on Sunday morning.

Band member Danny admitted he would "probably cry" if the band achieved its first number one single next Sunday.