Live and Unsigned looking for Scottish acts

Nov 3 2009 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

ASPIRING musicians from Perthshire are being given a chance to impress in a national competition for new acts.

Now in its third year, Live and Unsigned is the UK’s biggest search for original talents seeking a recording deal.

Each act involved auditions live in front of a judging panel and all genres are encouraged to enter, including pop, r ‘n’ b, punk, rock, acoustic and electronic.

Those who make it through the heats get to perform to industry judges, talent spotters and celebrity guests in some of the UK’s most prestigious venues.

Acts reaching the contest’s grand final share the stage with some of the UK’s best musicians at the Live and Unsigned Festival.

The overall winner is offered a two-year management and recording contract. A remarkable 10,000-plus contestants have graced its audition rooms over the last three years.

Last year’s winners were Glaswegian rockers The Detours. Since winning the competition the band have enjoyed national media attention and are currently working on new material and preparing to record their debut video.

Perthshire bands who impressed at the event included Fair City power pop outfit Hello Pirates?, blues rockers Black Cat Scene and Dunkeld-based acoustic songsmith A Waving Hand, aka Christian Johnstone.

The next round of auditions are due to start in January, with the Scottish heats taking place at the superb Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow.

For information on how to secure a place, go to www.LiveandUnsigned.uk.com to register.