'Road To V' competition hots up

United Kingdom | | 12 April 2006

With summer looming, the search is once again on to find two hot, new acts to open V Festival as part of the 'Road To V' competition. Who will follow last year's winners, The Young Knives, on the path to glory?

www.roadtov.com

Virgin Mobile's Road To V gives up-and-coming bands the chance to win a coveted slot performing at one of the UK's most prestigious outdoor music events of the year, V Festival.

Last year, tweed-loving, gritty popsters, The Young Knives, played to thousands of music lovers at both the Essex and Staffordshire legs of V, and are now set to release their debut album in the summer.

This time round with two winning slots up for grabs, more than 2,000 demos have been entered, with organisers suggesting that the quality of music this year has been of the highest standard in the competition's three year history.

Unfortunately, bands wanting to take part will have to wait until next year, as the entry date is now closed.

However, there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved. Music fans are invited to visit the website www.roadtov.com where they can check out individual profiles of all the bands that have entered, as well as listen to and download their tracks - to mobile phones even! The site also offers up forums for fans to chat and swap opinions on the bands and artists on show.

Virgin Mobile is currently working alongside industry experts to select 14 bands that will go through to the next stage of the competition.

The short-listed bands will then go on to play gigs in London and Liverpool during May. The gigs will be filmed for a special Channel 4 series following the Road To V competition. To get free tickets to the gigs click here.

A panel of music specialists and industry insiders (soon to be announced) will take in all the gigs and judging by their live performances, combined with what fans have said on the forums, two winners will eventually be selected.

The victorious bands will play both legs of V Festival, one opening the Hylands Park event in Essex on the Saturday before switching to Weston Park in Staffs for the Sunday - and vice versa. Both acts will play on the V Stage, effectively warming up for the like of Radiohead, Morrissey, Faithless, Keane, and many more.

V Festival 2006 takes place on 19-20 August. Click here for more.