ENTRIES are open for the tenth annual Selby Battle Of The Bands, and young musicians in the area still have time to get involved.

The competition, which takes place over two heats and a final, will feature ten young bands from around the region, and is one of Selby Town Hall’s highlights each year.

Chris Jones, arts officer for Selby Town Council, said: “The quality never ceases to amaze me – we have some very talented young people round here.

“The bar is raised every single time and many of our previous champions have gone on to achieve much greater success, with the likes of Route 19, Colours and the Kids, The Experiment and Premonition building incredibly strong followings both locally and regionally.”

Chris said the gigs were a great way for local talent to gain experience and share their music with a wider audience, which regularly sells out – not only for the final but the heats as well.

He said: “It’s such a wonderful event when we’ve got a couple of hundred teenagers bouncing around the town hall. When the gigs are in full flow they’re probably the best thing we do here.

“It provides a really great platform for young musicians to play to their peers in a professional environment and is a great chance for young music fans to support local artists in a safe, alcohol-free environment.”

The competition winners are given a paid opening slot at Selby’s Family Fun Day outdoor concert in June.

Entries are open until Friday, February 21, for members who live or attend school or college in the Selby area and are predominantly under the age of 20. For more information or an application form go to townhallgigs.co.uk or phone 01757 708449.