WEB IS A HIT WITH PHIL.

Byline: NEIL THAPAR

POP singer Phil Collins is jumping on the internet bandwagon as an investor in a new venture, Ontourworld.com.

The privately owned company plans to operate official websites of the world's leading rock and pop bands.

Each site will offer news, reviews, music to download, CDs and other merchandise.

Fans will also be able to buy tickets for concerts and bid for memorabilia offered in online auctions.

Ontourworld.com is raising [pounds sterling]3 million from Collins, fellow Genesis band members Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks and their manager, Tony Smith.

Other equity investors include City venture capital firm Elderstreet, computer games developer SCi and internet entrepreneur Keith Young.

The company is also raising [pounds sterling]2 million from PC giant Hewlett Packard, which is acting as a technology partner.

Ontourworld.com, led by chief executive and music industry producer Andrew Wilkinson, expects to launch its sites in the spring.