An Oxford rock band have won a contest to play alongside one of the most notorious bands in the country - original punk act The Damned.

Smilex - who have been playing in Oxford for five years - have a huge cult following in the city, earned through their often hair-raising live performances.

They also have a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in Oxford. So when The Damned launched a competition to select an act to support them at their forthcoming concert in the city, they jumped at the chance.

The veteran punk legends, still fronted by the charismatic Captain Sensible and Dave Vanian, were keen to pick an "edgy" local support to kick off their show in front of 1,000 fans at the Oxford Carling Academy, Cowley Road, on Saturday, December 1.

Smilex frontman Lee Christian, from East Oxford, said: "To have been picked by such a wicked band as The Damned is really nice.

"We are not a band that has been particularly championed, so when someone like them - who know good from bad - say they like us, it is very complim- entary.

"It's going to be a great experience."

A spokesman for The Damned said: "We are no dinosaurs of punk's heyday. We've always been a little ahead of our time.

"True to our spirit of constant innovation we were looking for local support acts to open the bill.

"The competition was open to everyone - magicians, jugglers, Punch and Judy shows and musicians - as long as they could match the excitement and edgy vibe we were looking for."

He said Smilex would be "in great company".

The band have not revealed how many local artists entered the contest, which saw acts sending in recordings and links to websites.

The show follows a great few weeks for Smilex, which has seen the release of their latest single Dead Horses (a download only single via Quickfix Recordings and itunes) with guest vocals from rapper MC Lars, and album 7 - an examination of the seven deadly sins, from sloth to wrath.