THE Fibbers/Evening Press Battle of the Bands 2005 starts on February 8, showcasing some of the hottest new talent in York.

The winners will walk away with £1,000 and free recording time at Studio 7, the York-based recording studio. The second and third-placed bands will receive £250 and £100 respectively.

Round one will see 48 bands performing in 12 heats before being whittled down to 18 survivors. By the grand final in July, only five bands will remain.

Fibbers manager Tim Hornsby says: "It's always one of the most pleasant things about Fibbers, seeing local bands develop and being a part of that. Once again the standard is high and there are bound to be a few surprises."

Each year aspiring performers hope to use the event as a stepping-stone to further their musical career. This year more than 500 entries were received.

Cardboard Radio, the betting man's favourites, clash with Fifth Phase, Fado Rock and Glory Box in round one, heat one. Cardboard Radio's tongue-in-cheek trio owe more than a nod and a wink to Led Zeppelin. The melodic Fifth Phase made their debut at the start of this month; Market Weighton's Fado Rock, finalists in 2003, have a fighting chance with their angry mix of punk, garage, metal and grunge influences; and Glory Box's dark punk performers have a keen sense of humour and a cult following.

The remaining schedule for round one is: February 15, The Federals, Kanuba, Cruithne, In: Audium; February 22, Utoxator, The Quiet Victory, Toyshelf, The Catamites; March 1, Kiwis Ned, Fuzzgunn Sniper, Spectrolyte, End These Days; March 8, Delta Volts, Low Ground, Casse Media, Version 2.0; March 15, Paragon, Blind Spot, Soma, The Stimulagos; March 22, Ironic, Manifesto, Hedcage, Olvine; March 29, Therichmondclass, The Red Room Theory, Bad Shots Reunion, The Vagabonds.

April 5, The Hellraisins, The Lieutenants, A New Tomorrow, Harken; April 12, The Calvo Contract, Day After Dawn, Blind Progress, Idle Jack and The Big Sleep; April 19, (The Band) Jon Comlay, The Tungsten Beanbags, Those In Favour, Puritan; April 26, Skatesian, A Chlorine Kiss, A Dog Named Hero, The Price You Pay.

At this stage it is not easy to predict the winner, but that hasn't stopped insiders from having a go: 2/1 Cardboard Radio; 3/1 Delta Volts; 4/1 The Federals; 5/1 Utoxator, Kiwis Ned, Bad Shots Reunion; 6/1 Low Ground; 8/1 Ironic; 10/1 Skatesian, Fado Rock, Kanuba; 12/1 The Red Room Theory; 16/1 Fuzzgunn Sniper, Toyshelf, Paragon; 20/1 The Stimulagos, Olivine, A New Tomorrow; 25/1 Manifesto, Harken, Hedcage; 33/1 Therichmondclass, Fifth Phase, The Lieutenants; 50/1 Glory Box.

Updated: 15:29 Thursday, January 27, 2005