TWELVE North-East bands and solo artists will follow in the footsteps of musical greats such as Adele and the Arctic Monkeys when they perform at the o2 Academy in Newcastle this month.

The twelve acts will battle it out on the venue’s main stage on Saturday, January 26, as part of the Soundwave Music Competition grand final.

Face the Republic, a four piece rock band from Durham, Silva Method, a synth/pop/rock group from Gateshead, rock group AfterShock from Durham and Kiss Your Commander – a five piece, female fronted indie/synth/rock band from Newcastle, are among those hoping to impress industry judges on the night.

Originally conceived as a school project, Soundwave is the biggest of its kind in the North-East and offers unsigned acts the chance to win great prizes and gain exposure to assist in furthering their careers.

The winning act will receive a fantastic prize package, including a full day’s recording at Gateshead’s Broadwater Recording Studios, radio airtime, press coverage, magazine interviews, photo shoots and much more.

Tickets for the final cost £7.05 and are on sale now at o2academynewcastle.co.uk or by calling 0844 477 2000.