A Macclesfield rock band will be on national news tonight.

Macclesfield musicians The Virginmarys will be on ITV News on Friday night.

While the broadcast starts at 10:00, the power duo will be part of a piece towards the end of the programme, at 10:20.

The world-renowned band have just finished their first ever tour of Sweden. However, the exact topic for the ITV appearance is being kept secret! So you'll just have to tune in...

The Virginmarys are Macclesfield lads Ally Dickaty (vocals, guitar) and Danny Dolan (drums).

Danny Dolan of The Virginmarys, in the video for their latest single, The Meds.

Danny spoke to Macclesfield Nub News at the end of their Scandinavian adventure, and is buzzing for the telly appearance tonight.

"It's been absolutely amazing to be back playing live music again after so so long but doubly amazing to be playing in Europe again," he said.

"Nine times out of ten on a general tour it's pretty rare you get chance to see or do anything outside of (drive to the venue, load in, sound check, eat, interviews, showtime, load out and drive to the hotel), so apart from if we've got a day off that usually how it goes. But I have to say this has been a major exception in that everywhere we've been people have gone out of their way to show us as much of Swedish culture as possible.

"Certainly visiting the ABBA museum was pretty awesome! Then getting a ferry to an island off Finland called Aland [was also a highlight]. That place was like summer isle on acid!"

Ally hoists a guitar above his head on the Swedish tour - which will be on ITV1 tonight. (Image - @thevirginmarys Instagram)

"Regarding ITV, it was totally nuts… .we heard about a journalist from the UK. being interested in doing a story about us and then after doing a Zoom interview with him he said it would be going out on ITV news which we figured would be something like Granada Reports [North West Local News] and then an hour later, we got told it would be on ITV News nationally at 10pm.

"It is mad that it's taken us leaving the UK to make the UK news!"

When asked if touring has become harder in a in a post-COVID, post-Brexit world, Ally and Danny said "100 per cent."

"Everyone across the board within the music industry has taken a massive hit and we're all still recovering.

"Sadly the general vibes within the music scene (certainly within the UK. anyways) is that it is going to take at least 18 - 24 months before we see any kind of normality. Which is just a shit-sandwich buffet for all of us basically."

Ironically, the band will be unable to see their interview live. As they'll be performing.

Macclesfield: The band will play a homecoming charity gig at Christ Church on Bridge Street next Friday.

"Sadly we can't watch it though, as we'll be on stage but we've got the VHS set," they joked.

The band will be back in the UK next week, where they've will kick-off a summer of concerts with a homecoming show in Macclesfield.

They will play Party in the Pews Festival on the Friday, at Macclesfield's Christ Church.

And you can get your tickets here.

The Virginmarys have released three studio albums since 2013.

They hope to release their fourth album - as of yet untitled - this year.

Their recent single The Meds can be listened to here. The video for which, was filmed in Macclesfield.

You can listen to their music on Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube.

You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

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