Cult club act who stormed Doncaster in 1996 keen to play 20th anniversary concert

Dutch 'happy hardcore' act Nakatomi became clubbing sensations in Doncaster in 1996 with dance anthem Children of The Night - with the single outselling the likes of the Spice Girls, George Michael and Peter Andre in the town's record shops for most of the year.

Yesterday, we revealed how the song failed to chart nationally on its initial release and struggled to make an impact elsewhere - but ravers in Doncaster lapped the song up, filling dancefloors at local clubs as DJs struggled to cope with the demand.

Now the band's Peter Schoots has spoken of the song's phenomenal success in Doncaster - and has said the band, which returned to the live scene a few years ago, would love to stage an anniversary concert in the town.

He said: "To be honest, we were told back then by our record company that Children of the Night was very popular in some northern parts of the UK, but we never knew that people went crazy for it in Doncaster especially.

"Needless to say that it was very difficult back then to get detailed info on fans and sales and I am really very surprised and honored by this.

"We would love to organise a 20th anniversary concert."

The band's website says: "Now, by increasing public demand Nakatomi returns as an exciting live act. With live vocals by the original Nakatomi singer, the raven haired Rachel Rave. For the first time ever the hardcore hit sensation will perform live on stage. A high impact show igniting audiences with their infectious high speed happiness. Nakatomi is back. Relive the Rave. Live on stage! Be there or be square!"

DJs at nightspots such as Visage in Silver Street and Karisma in Duke Street blasted it out week in, week out - and the songs still fills dancefloors when it is played in town today.

Back then, the Free Press used to print a weekly top ten singles chart based on the best-selling singles at the town's branch of HMV, then based in Frenchgate.

In the same year that the Spice Girls made their debut and sold millions of copies of first single Wannabe, even Ginger, Posh, Scary, Baby and Sporty couldn't compete against the all-conquering Nakatomi in Doncaster.

For week after week throughout 1996, Children Of The Night outsold everything else in the town's record shops - easily beating sales of singles such as Return Of The Mack by Mark Morrison, the Fugees' Killing Me Softly and Three Lions by Baddiel, Skinner and The Lightning Seeds.

While the song was a huge hit in the group's native Holland, spending 11 weeks in the charts and peaking at number two, it was two years before the rest of Britain caught up with Nakatomi - the song stuttering to number 47 in 1998 before a re-release in 2002 finally edged it into the top 40 at number 31.

To see what Nakatomi are up to now, visit their website at http://www.nakatomilive.com/