AREA 51 MAKE LIVE & UNSIGNED NATIONAL FINALS AT O2 IN LONDON

02 National Final for AREA 51!

After battling it out in live heats across the country, AREA 51 from Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire, have just made it through to the National Grand Final of Live and Unsigned! And they are now getting set to take to the stage at the IndigO2 in London on 10th July!

After initially auditioning against thousands of other acts across the UK and impressing the judging panel with their originality, they went on to perform live on stage at the London & South West Area Finals in Hayes, London on 2nd May. They dazzled the crowd with their winning performance and they’re now set to perform at the Grand Final – which is staged at the Live and Unsigned Festival at the IndigO2 at the O2 in London!

AREA 51 will be performing on the main stage of the Festival, in front of a live crowd and judging panel. Some of the biggest names in the industry will be there to cast their eye over the unsigned talent including the legendary Noddy Holder, Radio 1’s prime time presenter Greg James, Urban DJ, Presenter and Radio 1’s Ras Kwame and RnB mega star Shola Ama.

Live and Unsigned is the biggest original music competition in the UK for unsigned bands and artists. Attracting over 30, 000 entries in the past three years, it’s set itself apart from its predecessors by offering and promoting live, original music and it’s open to all genres of music from Heavy Rock to Rap.

So, what are the acts battling it out for at the Grand Final? Not only will they be performing on stage at the best live music venue in the country, but there are also plenty of awards up for grabs, with a prize pool worth over £75, 000. The prize pool includes an all expenses paid trip to India to play and compete in the biggest Festival in Asia, an all expenses paid trip to Italy to play at a Festival, a slot on the main stage of Hellfire Festival, state of the art equipment, front cover features in popular music magazines, clothing, days out, coverage, development master classes and much more.

The overall winner of the competition will take home a winners package which includes equipment, coverage and promotion. They’ll also be offered a recording and management contract with Future Music to release their single and they’ll get the opportunity to develop their own clothing brand to sell online and in retail with Extreme State.

Chris Grayston, Events Director of Live & Unsigned commented “We’re all about originality, live ability and credibility. It’s a fantastic achievement to make it to the Grand Final and there are plenty of opportunities for all acts taking part, not just for the winner! We’ve got some fantastic judges on board at the IndigO2 and I’m excited to see what the acts can do on the main stage!”

The winners of 2010 will be thrust into the spotlight and will be given the opportunity to tour the UK. Acts who have caught the judge’s eye this year are the local talent from Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire, who are now competing at the Grand Final. They’ll be performing at the IndigO2 in London on 10th July against the UK’s finest under the radar acts. The Live and Unsigned Festival is an all day event, packed full of entertainment and will play host to an eclectic mix of artists – including Rock, Indie, Pop/Acoustic and Urban, so it’s packed with music for everyone! Representing the best of this region’s talent, AREA 51 are hoping for all the regional support possible to be crowned the UK’s best Live and Unsigned act. Tickets are available from the website or call Heather on 07778 049701.

For how to secure your audition place for next year’s competition, go to www.liveandunsigned.uk.com

For further information on AREA 51 go to www.myspace.com/area51cs