Hartlepool hosting new battle of the bands contest - here's how to enter and what you can win

The best unsigned bands in the North East are invited to prove their talent in a new Battle of the Bands contest being hosted in Hartlepool.
By Mark Payne
Published 13th Jan 2020, 16:45 BST

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Jaime Horton of Creative Minds outside The Studio music venue which will host five heats in Proving Grounds - Battle of the Bands.Jaime Horton of Creative Minds outside The Studio music venue which will host five heats in Proving Grounds - Battle of the Bands.
Jaime Horton of Creative Minds outside The Studio music venue which will host five heats in Proving Grounds - Battle of the Bands.

The competition called Proving Grounds is said to be the first of its kind in the town and will see talented artists battle it out on stage.

The winners will receive a day in a recording studio and have a track mastered and released, plus a headline slot at Hartlepool’s SmithFest music festival in July.

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Proving Grounds is the brainchild of Alex Hooks of label Yorica Music and Jaime Horton at community organisation Creative Minds.

Alex, who has organised SmithFest in memory of town musician Robert Smith for the last five years, said: “I have wanted to do a battle of the bands for a while.

“I was a judge at Hartlepool’s Got Talent in December and mentioned it to Jaime.

“It is not the first battle of the bands in the North East but it is the first one that Hartlepool has hosted.

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“There is plenty of unsigned talent especially in Hartlepool. When I first started SmithFest it was predominantly Teesside bands taking part, but now it is more Hartlepool.

“The town deserves more recognition than Skint Britain gave us.”

Proving Grounds is free to enter and applications are open now.

Five heats will be held at The Studio, in Tower Street, on the evenings of Friday, March 6, 13, 20, 27 and April 3.

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They will battle it out for a place in the final at the Corporation Sports and Social Club, in Whitby Street, on Friday, April 10.

Jaime added: “In Hartlepool’s Got Talent we had loads of bands enter. I teamed up with Alex and decided we are going to go for it and put on a battle of the bands for the whole North East.”

Backers include music industry experts Kycker who are set to record and release the winning track, music and arts magazine NE Volume and Radio Hartlepool.

Admission is £5 per person for the heats or £20 for a ‘season ticket’ including entry to all heats and the final.

The closing date for bands to enter is February 14. See facebook.com/NEBOTB/ or email [email protected]

Related topics:HartlepoolNorth East