Battle of the bands arrives with trio going head-to-head

We have joined forces with Workington's Monroes Bar to bring this exciting competition to the stage, getting under way on Saturday September 24 with Heat One.

The grand final takes place in January 2017, with the cash prize and also a place at Aspatria Music Festival up for grabs.

They will be judged by representatives from Raz White Entertainments, Cumbria Live, the Carnegie Theatre Trust and Aspatria Music Festival.

For the first instalment, three very different bands go head-to-head, playing 45-minute sets of their best material.

Delta Sunrise

Delta Sunrise specialise in Delta blues. The trio - John Paul McBride, who provides guitar, banjo and vocals, Tara Brehaut, also on guitar and vocals, as well as the tin whistle, and drummer Pete Miles - only started out at the turn of the year, but have already made a big impression on the summer festival circuit.

John Paul says: "Our sound combines the uptempo foot-stomping hypnotic rhythms of the Deep South with the sombre and melancholy tones from that era.

"After listening to old recordings from artists such as Fred McDowell and RL Burnside, we began to study the guitar technique and style which eventually led us to form Delta Sunrise."

Already they have had successful slots at Maddy Prior's Stepping Stones festival, West Fest and Hogg Fest, and are heading into the studio soon to work on their debut album.

"We have been amazed at the positive reaction our music has received," says John.

"We are still experimenting with our style and would rather take the extra time refining our sound and live performance rather than rushing the album.

"We have been fortunate to play at three local festivals during the summer - 2016 has been a lot of fun so far and, we are looking forward to rocking the crowd in Workington.

"We applied to the battle of the bands because we felt we had something unique to show to the people of Cumbria. Every artist wants a stage to perform on and an audience who appreciates music. It's the perfect platform for shining light on fresh talent within the area.

"The organisers have done a fantastic job and, we are proud to be part of it."

The Twitchers

The young Furness four-piece will be making a rare West Cumbrian appearance, playing their accomplished indie originals, which give a nod to the likes of Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, and Oasis.

With most members at university, local dates are few and far between, but their busy summer schedule has seen them make some well-received appearances at events such as Another Fine Fest, Coro All and Globestonbury in their hometown of Ulverston, as well as Grizedale Rocks.

Formed in 2012, The Twitchers consist of Rob Morris on vocals and rhythm guitar, Arron Cottis on drums, Matthew Tucker on lead guitar and Tom Spencer on bass.

The 45-minute set on Saturday will prove to be a good chance to hear tracks from their pair of EPs, which have been championed by the BBC Introducing programme in the past.

Tom says: "When this came up we thought "why not?".

"For us, it's more about playing the gig and I think it's our first up that way. We've had numerous gigs over the summer, and when we get together over Christmas we'll probably start writing some new stuff then."

Guitarist Matthew is studying film at university, and they have self-produced their own videos for latest singles Skint and Hoad - both of which currently feature in the live set.

Water's Edge

One of the Lake District's best-established live acts, the long-running, eclectic six-piece have released five studio records and a live album to date and played countless shows across the region.

Having formed almost a decade ago, they have firmly established themselves as one of the county's top original bands, with their compelling blend of soulful ballads and danceable songs.

Formed as a three-piece by singer and acoustic guitarist Lee Hawker and drummer Richard Burford, Water’s Edge have now expanded to include Ben Marcano on bass, Stuart Sidney on lead guitar, Shelagh Hughes on keyboards and violin and Andy Hughes on sax and acoustic guitar.

Lee says: "Our sound has matured over the past decade, as we have introduced new members, each bringing their own additional unique elements.

"We are currently working on our seventh album, which will be recorded over the winter this year.

"Apart from releasing six albums, over the years, our highlights include playing at Solfest, Cockrock, The Brickyard in Carlisle, the Kirkgate Centre, and Theatre by the Lake main house last year when we raised over £700 for Keswick Mountain Rescue.

"Our most favourite gigs though are small, intimate ones in front of local fans who know us well."

Arguably the ones to beat in this heat, with their many years' experience over the other competitors, Lee admits that he's just happy to be part of the battle of the bands - which will see a further 10 acts compete over the coming months.

He says: "We have wanted to play Monroes Bar as a band for a while. I played there myself about 16 years ago with another band, and loved the venue.

"We really wanted to be part of this wonderful competition where it will showcase many talented local bands."

Saturday's first heat will get under way at Monroes Bar, in Finkle Street, at 8pm, and entrance is payable on the door.