YOUNG, old, rock and roll, Indie, heavy, trad or folk; the Alley Theatre in Strabane, in partnership with our sister paper the Strabane Chronicle, is offering local bands and singers the chance to star in their very own music video via the 'Sounds Like Summer' band competition.
Sounds Like Summer is presenting 16 acts with the opportunity to compete for an essential prize for any aspiring act – the chance to professionally record an original song and shoot a music video.
The competition will take the form of four outdoor concerts on the Alley's new Piazza, which will decide who will perform in the grand final. All 16 participants will receive £100 towards the cost of transport, while the four Sounds Like Summer finalists will receive a further £200 each.
Performances will be held on August 8 and 9 and on August 15 and 16, with the winning act being announced on the evening of the Sounds Like Summer final on August 22. To enter, acts are invited to forward a short artistic CV and sample CD. The CD must contain at least one original composition by the artist or band. Submissions must be received by the Alley by Friday, June 20 at 4pm.
Looking forward to the unique event, Alley Theatre manager John Kerr said, "This is a very exciting project for the Alley Theatre and a fantastic opportunity for local musicians and bands to demonstrate their talents and explore their creativity.
"The open air concerts will be free to attend and the winning act will win one of the most prestigious music prizes on offer in the North West. I urge anyone involved in music, whether you play in a band or are a soloist, to apply for an application pack and think that this could be your first step to a big career in music.
"This format will be slightly different to the usual battle of the bands format in that we are happy to consider applicants from any genre of music whether it be rock, country, traditional or anything else for that matters."
To receive an information pack, including competition schedule, contact Pauline O'Neill at the Alley on 028 7188 4760 or email poneill@ strabanedc.com. Meanwhile, packs can also be obtained from the Alley or the Strabane Chronicle office.
