IT was like a scene from Pop Idol, but Simon Cowell was nowhere to be seen.

Wannabe pop stars waited as only they can - noisily - outside Mono Bar in Southampton to be auditioned for what is hoped to be the urban music scene's next big thing.

The new six-piece group will be launched by two Southampton-born men, Alistair Julius, an MC at clubs across the UK, and artist manager Adam Muddle.

Artful Dodger band member and former Bitterne Park School pupil Pete Devereux joined them on the judges' table at Saturday's audition.

Alistair, who had a chart hit with Artful Dodger and counts Craig David as a close friend, said: "We want some cracking vocalists. Obviously we'll see a few jokers along the way but I'm looking forward to that.

"Coming from Southampton, I think it would be wrong to go straight to London and not give people down here a bite of the cherry first.

"People used to call it the Bermuda Triangle down here because no talent ever came out of the area but we've proved them wrong."

First in the queue was 17-year-old Mike Brown, a trainee carpenter, of Browning Close in Totton.

Mike said: "From the moment I realised I could sing it's been my dream to be a pop star. It's the first audition I've ever done and I am nervous. But my girlfriend suggested I gave it a go and I haven't got anything to lose."

Mike now has to wait a week until he finds out whether his version of Seasons in the Sun was good enough to get him through to the next round of auditions in London.

Another hopeful was 22-year-old Scott White, a roofer, of Lordshill, Southampton. Scott said: "Southampton has such a lot to offer, but so much of it is going undiscovered. We need some record companies to come down here and have a look."

Organisers of the auditions, which attracted more than 30 young hopefuls from Southampton, said the judging panel was impressed with the standard of performance.

The second round of auditions will take place in London and the process will continue into the summer.