Music hopeful assembles massive band

A man who is getting started in music has inadvertently become part of a TV campaign which involves assembling a massive band.

Josh Ward, a bass guitar player from Oxfordshire, was out in London when he was approached by T-Mobile, which was collecting vox pops for adverts.

The company asked him what he would do if he was allowed to enjoy free text messages for his whole life, and he instantly replied that he would like to organise a massive jam session.

Mr Ward's idea struck T-Mobile as a good one and the company encouraged him to follow through on his idea and assemble a huge band of musicians.

He is now fronting a TV campaign to attract guitarists, drummers, keyboard players and anyone else who plays an instrument to join his band.

Rick Dodds, art director at advertising firm Saatchi and Saatchi, told the Oxford Mail: "It's a unique campaign because it's real.

"He's a real person using his own social networks and we are watching it unfold.

Mr Ward added that he has been contacted by musicians from all over the UK and has enjoyed the opportunity to make music with them.

Saatchi and Saatchi was the company behind the recent mass singalong in London, which was set up as part of T-Mobile's Life's for Sharing campaign.

This saw thousands of people assemble in Trafalgar Square, including pop star Pink, to sing songs such as Tony Christie's Is This the Way To Amarillo and Hey Jude by The Beatles.

By Steven Jones