Mark B and Blade will be supporting Eminem tonight at Manchester Arena in front of 20,000 fans. The pair said: "It's an honour to be on the same stage as the greatest rapper inthe world at the moment. It's a big achievement for us. Hopefully it will break down some more doors for us."

The duo's current single, The Unknown has been B-listed by Radio 1 and is receiving extensive radio play.

Tonight's Manchester show is the first of three dates Eminem is playing during his UK tour.

The rapper, who attacks homosexuals in his lyrics, is expected to be targeted by gay rights groups while he is in the UK. He is even planning to travel to the London Arena by boat along the Thames under police escort to avoid protestors.