Rock Ness launches two searches for emerging talent

Rock Ness have launched two nationwide talent searches to find the UK's hottest new bands and a DJ to perform at the festival.

The artist and band search, this year in partnership with Liverpool Sound City, will begin with the best 20 entries performing on the brand new Rock Ness Sound City Stage across the weekend. The winning act will be decided the day after the festival.

Acts wanting to enter will need to submit their entry on Sonic bids, all the submissions will be listened to and judged by Jim King, RockNess Festival Director, Dave Pichilingi, Liverpool & Dubai Sound City Festival Director and Goldenvoice Promoters Simon Jones and Carlo Scarampi. The 20 handpicked finalists will then have their tracks available for Rock Ness fans to listen to from Monday 30th May and open for the public vote from Monday 6th June. The 20 finalists will all perform on the Rock Ness Sound City Stage at the festival. Public voting will finish on Wednesday 15th June, the numbers will be taken into consideration alongside the opinions of the judges and the winner of this amazing prize will be announced on the 16th June 2011.

The overall winner will receive a support slot on a Goldenvoice tour in the 12 months following the festival, and get to perform again at RockNess 2012 in the Goldenvoice Arena.

Dave Pichilingi, Sound City Director commented "We are delighted to be working with RockNess on this brand new initiative. Like Rock Ness we are absolutely committed to bringing the best new music to our audiences. The core value at Sound City is all about breaking emerging talent in the UK. The plan is to make this part of a much wider strategy for working together on similar projects in the future."

For electronic music acts Rock Ness are also looking aspiring DJs, and offering them a chance to win a slot at the festival, playing on the same line up as Groove Armada, Boys Noize, Simian Mobile Disco & Laidback Luke.

To win the opportunity to play a set at the almighty Rock Ness festival entrants must upload their biggest club mix to letsmix, visit www.rockness.co.uk for full links.

All mixes will be voted on by the public and with the 20 DJs with the most votes being judged by an expert panel, Jim King, RockNess festival director and Barry Price, Sub Club Director. Online voting will close on the 26th May where the 6 finalists will be contacted on the 27th May. From those 20, 6 semi finalists will be asked to battle in person at Sub Club on the 4th June 2011. The winner will then be chosen on the night by crowd reaction and the panel of judges, and will then join the bill at Rock Ness.

The grand prize will be a DJ set at Rock Ness 2011, VIP weekend camping passes for the winner and a friend with artistes passes on the day that they play. 2nd prize will get a pair of weekend camping tickets for them and a friend to come to the festival. The 6 finalists will also all receive a Premium account with Letsmix that allows them unlimited storage and mobile/streaming.

Rock Ness, Festival Director Jim King said "We've had some top class entrants to the DJ competition since we started and for me it’s a great way to listen to new DJs and encounter new styles. We are committed to hosting the event so we can offer up and coming Djs an opportunity and a platform to get their name out into the industry."

Rock Ness takes place on the scenic banks of Loch Ness, Scotland on Friday 10th to Sunday 12th June 2011 where Kasabian, The Chemical Brothers, and Paolo Nutini will headline this summer.

They are joined on the bill by Glasvegas, The Wombats, Two Door Cinema Club, Groove Armada presents Red Light, DJ Shadow, Mark Ronson (DJ set), The Cribs, Modeselektor, Magda, Jamie XX, Frightened Rabbit, We Are Scientists, Magnetic Man, Example, Lissie, Katy B, Annie Mac, Erol Alkan, Zane Lowe, Brother, Boys Noize, Simian Mobile Disco, Fake Blood, DJ Yoda, Rob da Bank, Howard Marks, and more, with many more still to be announced. For the line-up details as available please click here.

Tickets are priced as follows:

£149 for a 3 day weekend camping or non camping ticket
£159 for a 3 day weekend camping or non camping with coach travel
£135 for a 3 day weekend camping or non camping student ticket
£145 for a 3 day weekend camping or non camping student ticket with coach travel
£189 for a 3 day weekend camping or non camping VIP ticket

To buy tickets, click here.

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To buy tickets from Ticketmaster, click here.

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