10:21AM, Mon Jun 4, 2012

Boy Band Raw In Running To Perform For Simon Cowell And X Factor Judges

By Nisha Joshi and Jenny Wotherspoon Location: Newcastle

Video: X Factor hopefuls Raw perform live

A boy band from Newcastle could be the next X Factor stars after successfully auditioning for the show’s producers.

All acts who appear on the show are vetted before they can perform for the judges.

After call-backs from X Factor’s producers, Raw are now waiting to hear if they will have the chance to perform for Simon Cowell and the other judges.

The band are made up of 20-year-old Martin Bagnall, 19-year-old Sam Irwin and 21-year-old and Stephan Mitchell.

Martin and Stephan are both students and Sam is a hip-hop dancer at various nightclubs in Newcastle.

Video: Sam Irwin shows off body popping skills

The trio describe their music as a mixture of pop, hip-hop and R and B.

At their audition at Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena back in March, they impressed X Factor producers with a mash-up of ‘Forever’ by Chris Brown, and nursery rhyme ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.’

Sam said: “It was a bit cheeky and risky, but it paid off hopefully.

“You look at people on the TV and you think ‘I wish that was me or I wish that was us.’

“It would be absolutely amazing just to have that opportunity.”

Raw will find out their fate in the next two weeks; if successful they will have just a few days notice before singing for the judges.