At The Venue, in Lords Walk, Preston, next Friday, September 5, four of the area's top bands will fight it out for the prizes worth £1500 – and the honour of knowing they're the best.

Hear this year's finalists on lep.co.uk

You will fail - Shoot for the Moon
Population four - Liberate part 1 (carpe diem)
House on fire - King for a day
Blackbird - This couldn't possibly be

Out of an amazing 40 acts who began the competitions, the final contenders this year are House on Fire, Population Four, You Will Fail, and Blackbird – all four bands from the city of Preston itself.

House on Fire rose from the ashes of established Prestonian progressive rockers King Casanova to become a polished rock three-piece with influences including Foo Fighters and Biffy Clyro.

With Adam Jones on guitar and vocals, Darren Baxter on drums and Phil Ireland on bass, they are already a respected part of the city's rock music scene – although Darren is about to depart to work as a professional drummer in London.

Population Four describe themselves as a "rock/metal/punk/synth/fusion/insert genre here band."

The five-piece – Cooko, Daff, Rick, Ceres and Si – have a full album's worth of material under their belts and have been gigging furiously.
Metallers You Will Fail are Welly on vocals and guitar, Sam on lead guitar, Jonny Raw on bass and Jay on drums.

They had their debut gig at the Venue last year on February 23, supporting the now deceased goth rockers Asylum, and are back after triumphing in their semi-final despite their drummer being out of action – they played an emergency acoustic set!

Last but not least is Blackbird, a laid back rock four-piece with Rick Gallacher on drums, Tom Brown on guitar, Sean Brixey on bass, and vocalist Neil Rees.

They say their influences are "Bits of wood and string with pots and pans" and that they sound like: "A blackbird singing in the dead of night."

The four will compete against each other in front of the panel of judges for the first prize of £1000 and the runner-up prize of £500.

Last year's winners, metal band Freak Jesus told the Lancashire Evening Post that they were now able to record their EP with their prize money. We hope that this year's victors can also go on to greater things.

The Grand Final of the Lancashire Evening Post Battle of the Bands is on Friday, September 5 at the Venue, Lords Walk, off Church Street, Preston (behind the Bus Station.) Doors open at 8pm and entrance is £5.