The Loose have just come to the end of a four-month residency in The Academy, Dublin, and they've topped off their exceptional live stint by picking up an award. Victor Finn, the CEO of IMRO, presented the band with the IMRO Number 1 Award in recognition of their latest album Bounce at the Devil reaching the summit of the Irish Independent Album Charts late last year. The presentation took place at the IMRO offices this week.

After bringing the funk for so many years, it's nice to see Mick Pyro and co get something back for a change.

In other Loose news, the band have just been confirmed as the headliners of this year's Trinity Charity Ball. The gig takes place Thursday January 20 in The Button Factory and looks set to top off the college's rag week in style.

Keep an eye on [link]www.republicofloose.com[/link] and [link]www.hotpress.com[/link] for further gig-related updates.