The best up and coming bands from Brisbane to Coffs Harbour and everywhere in between are set to converge on Tweed for the third Tweed Youth Speaks Battle of the Bands contest.
Organiser Kristie Headley from Youth Speaks said there had been a lot of interest in this year’s battle to be held at the Tweed Heads Civic Centre over three consecutive Friday nights, starting April 16.
The event will feature two heats and a final, on April 20. It is aimed at giving local youth a safe place to both play and listen to music and is part of the Tweed’s Youth Week celebrations.
Kristie said this time last year they had only one band nominated for the inaugural event (a second battle was held later in the year).
“This year we are full already still several weeks out,” she said.
“And we have an even bigger and better array of musical styles covered this time than ever before. “We have folk, funk, hip hop, rock, punk and metal and the bands have come from Coffs to Brisbane and everywhere in between.”
She said once again there would be 10 bands taking part in the competition, with a special head-line act performing at each gig as well. Two of last year’s entries Double Lined Minority and Murwillumbah’s Hip Hop crew FBC will also perform with Gold Coast group Mason Rack Trio playing the finals. Double Lined Minority have been one of the success stories of the event, going on to play at the Big Day Out as well as getting airplay on both the Byron FM station and national youth network Triple J. Band member Eddie Salazar said it was one of the “finest shows we played during the entire year”.
He said the event proved invaluable with the band making a lot of friends and connections.
“It was a really good experience,” he said. “After the battle we recorded our album, released our Christmas single and appeared on Triple J and Byron FM.”
He said the Battle was more about having fun and making friends than the competition.
