BANDS across the city are again gearing up to play at York's largest music venue - in the schools Battle of the Bands contest.

The fifth annual Battle of the Bands takes place on June 29 and organisers are hoping to pack the Barbican yet again.

Past winners of the contest, which is open to all York schools, have gone on to perform regular gigs in York venues and further afield.

Last year's runners-up, Vacant Goldfish, from Huntington School, have played as support band to Shed Seven, and will be making a guest appearance this year to mark their last performance before splitting up and moving on to new things.

Many bands have gone on to enter, and succeeded, in the Evening Press/Fibbers Battle of the Bands contest, which is fast reaching its climax.

This year's schools event has attracted 11 entries including Bellamy from Canon Lee School.

Singer Chris Pearse, 15, from Rawcliffe, said: "I was in Battle of the Bands last year and it was really good to go on stage with such a big audience. There was a really good atmosphere."

Chris got together with the other members of Bellamy a few months ago and they plan to do one cover - Clean by Helmet - and their own song, Cram.

Each band gets about eight minutes to perform two or three songs.

Battle of the Bands is organised by John Fletcher and Tina Wright, both teachers at Burnholme Community College, who have seen it get bigger every year.

John's son Stuart, formerly of the Seahorses, and now of The Rising, is one of this year's judges, along with Paul Banks, ex-Shed Seven, and also now in The Rising.

Tim Hornsby and Michelle Hodgson, of the Fibbers Group, will also be joining the judgely huddle, with a possible two more judges to be announced.

The line-up includes, in no particular order: Snatch (Huntington under-16s), The Switch (St Peter's), Terminal Breeze (Joseph Rowntree), Bellamy (Canon Lee), Plum (Archbishop Holgate's), Steel (Burnholme), Nipple Twisters (Manor), Stoned Henge (Millthorpe), Amethyst (Huntington over-16s) Thrust (York College) and Caution 21 (Lowfield).

Tickets bought through the schools involved cost £2.50 each, or are £3.50 from the Barbican.