YORK Live 2005

The Best Of Bands for ten to 19-year-old musicians kicks off at 6.45pm this evening at the Grand Opera House, in an annual showcase that gives young bands the opportunity to record a studio demo, perform in public, receive positive feedback from a panel of judges and win prizes.

Tickets cost £2.50 in advance from participating schools or the Bandstrand Team (www.bandstrand.org) or £3 on the door.

Tomorrow, from 10am to 5pm at the Jam Factory in Eldon Street, Access To Music and the Jam Factory run free workshops for young, local musicians to learn about the music industry and pick up new skills in songwriting, musicianship and production.

If you are aged 11 to 18 and fancy writing and recording your own track, ring 01904 655290 or 339879 for more details but, please note, places are limited, so hurry!

The University of York Jazz Orchestra leads off the outdoor stage line-up in Parliament Street tomorrow at 11am, followed by the MEG Samba Band at noon; Supa-Fi's new group of York funk musicians, 1pm; Soul Combination, 2pm; and The Mothers, 3pm.

Fibbers, the live music bar in Stonebow, takes over the Parliament Street stage from 4pm to 7pm to present Black Night Crash, Sixty6, Four Day Hombre, The Meenies and The Federals. This all-day event is free of charge.

A selection of York choirs will be serenading shoppers throughout the afternoon, from noon to 5pm, in Coppergate, starting off with Hands and Voices, York's singing and signing choir.

Tomorrow's diary closes at the City Screen in Coney Street, where the Basement Bar plays host to an evening of experimental electronica from SightSonic, York's International Festival of Digital Arts. V3ctor Display Team (DJs), Posthuman (Seed/Skam) Live and B12 (Warp/Artificial Intelligence) Live are confirmed for the 8pm line-up; tickets cost £5, concessions £4, on 01904 541144.

Music Circus, Sunday's series of free percussion workshops in the city centre from noon to 4pm, enables residents and visitors alike to try their hand at everything from African drumming and playing junk instruments to learning how to beat-box.

In a new addition to Sunday's programme, a troupe of Guerilla Musicians "unleashes live music on the city, its parks and suburbs" from midday to 4pm.

Keep your eyes and ears open as they could make a surprise appearance on a street corner near you. Again these performances will be free, as will be Brass in Coppergate, an afternoon of brass band music over the same time span on Sunday.

Six acoustic acts compete in Sunday's finale to York's annual competition for singer-songwriters, Strung Out 2005, from 7.30pm until late in the Orgasmic Caf, off Coney Street.

One duo has won through to the grand final, "Egyptian Cockney" Rami Radi & Hayley Youell, along with Dan O'Shea, Sarah Stabler and Matt Grace, and two more finalists will be added to the list following this week's last heat.

The event is in its fourth year, and prizes include a publishing deal from Axes All Areas and free studio time from The Acoustic Room. Admission to the final curtain of York Live 2005 is £7.

BLUETONES frontman Mark Morriss turns up at Fibbers, York, on Sunday evening in his alter ego of Fi-Lo Beddow. As ever, he will be performing intelligently crafted, melodically inventive songs, including Bluetones material. "It's a highly recommended show for all in love with guitar music, decent lyrics that you can understand and melodies that will stay in your head," says Fibbers boss Tim Hornsby. Tickets: £7 advance, £9 door.

CITY of York Performing Arts presents the Bandstrand Afternoon Show on Sunday when young acts perform on the Fibbers stage for the very first time as part of York Live 2005. Doors open at 12.30pm, the finishing time is 4pm, and there is an admission charge. A dry bar will be in operation for this all-ages event.

Updated: 09:23 Friday, May 20, 2005