A TV series starting next week will look at major milestones in Brighton's musical past.

The first programme in the Brighton Beats series of six documentaries, filmed by Brighton-based production company The Bridge, charts the city's musical history, with highlights including big beats, art rock and crashing dustbin lids.

It will be followed by programmes looking at individual acts and what makes the city an interesting place for them.

The first group interviewed is The Levellers, when bassist Jeremy Cunningham jokingly says: "I'm originally from Crawley so there is not much more explanation needed for why I came to Brighton.

"I came to art college really but had been getting so much grief for having a funny hairdo.

"Then I set foot in Brighton and realised most people were far stranger than I was.

"When The Levellers started, we were advised not to mention Brighton on our CV because it looked like there was no edge to it, like there always has been in Leeds or Manchester.

"We were probably the only people then that didn't play down we lived in Brighton - but now it is the coolest place to be for musicians and arty types."

Other acts interviewed include Stomp, whose dance performances incorporating dustbin lids sell out across the globe.

Also featured are young rockers Electric Soft Parade and British Sea Power, as well as dance band Lo Fidelity Allstars.

Phil Ward, who provides vocals and plays keyboards with the Lo Fidelity Allstars, says: "Brighton is a young place - it seems to have a very young population.

"I'm from Leeds but have been in Brighton six years. One by one the band moved down and the whole band has been here for four years.

"We met in London but used to come down to parties and clubs and enjoyed the atmosphere of coming out of a club and being at the sea."

Series producer Tony Steyger said he had been inspired by Fatboy Slim's Big Beach Boutique II party last year, when 250,000 people partied on Brighton beach.

He said he was interested too find out how, if that event was the peak of Brighton's musical history, that point had been reached.

Brighton Beats begins on ITV1 at 11.30pm next Thursday and continues in the same time slot until April 3.