The contest itself is progressing; the names of the twenty bands that have been chosen to go through to the next stage of the contest have been declared. The next stage in the competition, which is also open as of now is the Vote-off, during which the shortlisted bands will be whittled down to the three that will take part in the final at Koko in April,
.The Unsigned Heroes competition is designed to find the best as-yet unsigned band in the UK and Eire, and will offer the winning band a range of prizes, including a recording session with a name producer, PA equipment worth over £10,000 and the chance to play at a major summer festival. The contest has now closed to entrants, but a total of 801 eligible unsigned bands entered, and as the competition rules stated that bands had to comprise three or more members, at least 2400 people have taken part.
The 20 bands that have made it this far are as follows: Classified, from County Galway, Eire; Catch-it Kebabs and The Headliners, both from Barnsley, West Yorkshire; Sussex's Hand; The Dirty Lips, from Nottinghamshire; The Duckworths, from Bath; Merseyside's Sourmash; Manchester's The Cassettes; The Kashmirs and Flat 29, both from Liverpool; Hertfordshire's Flamboyant Bella; The Provoked and Beat Six, both from Surrey; 7th Wave, from Coventry; London's The Standards, The Storm Of Eighty-Three, The Great Statesmen, Traps and Lightning Type; and Olympic Lifts, from Belfast.
