North East and Scotland Music Contest Area Final- Results

The Area Final brought together the best unsigned acts from North East England and Scotland in a bid to make it to the National Grand Final at Live Fest. The winners are now off to the O2 on the 23rd July to play in the final for the chance to take the title of Best Unsigned Act 2011.

The headline act taking to the stage alongside Live and Unsigned Regional Finalists in Newcastle were Francesqa. The popular rock quintet performed as special guests and the Berkshire band are used to the live stage having played with the likes of Young Guns, The Automatic, Future and Deaf Havana. Live and Unsigned 2011 champions The Lottery Winners also took to the stage as a guest act and showed exactly why they were the UK’s Best Unsigned Act of 2010.

Judges presiding over the Newcastle Area Final included Benjamin Price (High Peak Radio) Nina Ritson (Newcastle Green Festival), Graeme Scott (Leith FM), Hannah Taylor (Singing coach and vocalist) and Chris Grayston from Future Music Management.

With so much talent, it was difficult for the judges to make a decision and the successful acts that are through to the National Grad Final are listed below. Congratulations to those that made it through to National Grand Final at Live Fest in London’s O2 on the 23rd July.

Area Final Winners

Promo Girl

Peter Skeen

Loud N Proud

Adam Smith

The Syndicates

Tasty Jailbait

Soho Dandy

Wayside

Exposure Award – There will be an award for the act with the largest quantity and best quality of submitted publicity material in relation to the competition. The act with the most press cuttings or recorded radio interviews on each Areal Final day will win a prize. As the winner of the prize at the Newcastle Area Final was a band, they will receive a free Blackstar HT-5 half-stack amplifier with head and cab. This goes to; Deadman’s stand

TC Electronics Exposure Award – This award is given to the act that achieves (what will be considered)the most ‘high profile’ publicity material and/or stunt in each Area final day. The overall winner in each Area will win a prize. If the winner is a solo artist or vocal group, they will receive a free day in the recording studio of their choice, worth up to £250. If the winning act is a band, they will receive a prize of a TC Electronics BG500 combo Bass Amp (approx value £540). The winner of the award for Newcastle Area Finals is; Hardback

Festival Partner Award

Festival coordinator Nina Ritson from Newcastle Green Festival Judged the Area Finals in Newcastle, and was so impressed with the talent that she has chosen four lucky winners to play at the Main stage of the popular festival on Sunday 5th June 2011. The acts who will be playing at Newcastle Green Festival are: Promo Girl, Peter Skeen, Modal Nodes and Silvar. Congratulations!

For those acts who didn’t progress through to the Grand Finals, don’t forget to use your Wildcard! All acts have been given a Wildcard in the form of a national public vote. There is just one place up for grabs and just two weeks to make your mark, so keep an eye out on the website and get voting for that last National Grand Final spots! Update; this last spot in the Grand Final went to Silvar.

For information on the Grand Final and to purchase tickets visit the Live and Unsigned Live fest page. Or further details of guest acts playing the London’s biggest indoor festival “Live Fest” incorporating the National Grand visit www.LiveFest.co.uk