Battle of the bands

• All bands wishing to register for the Battle of the Bands contest on Friday 12th April 2024 must read and accept the following rules and regulations before completing the registration form.

GENERAL RULES:

• All bands must contain a minimum of three (3) members. However, all members must sign that they have read and understand the registration form. If you have any questions, please clear them up with the coordinator prior to signing the form.
• Band members entering the High School Band section must be under 18, or still enrolled at an educational institute. Bands may bring one roadie to assist them with set-up and break-down and that person must also be listed on the registration form.
• Only band members and the roadie listed on the registration form will be admitted on stage.
• IF YOU ARE A HIGH SCHOOL BAND PLEASE STATE THIS THE REGISTRATION FORM (UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS NO TICK BOX SO PLEASE REMEMBER TO ADD THIS INFORMATION.
• All bands agree to have their name, voice, and/or likeness used in any advertising or broadcasting material relating to this contest without compensation or rights to royalties for such use
• On the day of performance, band members must be dressed in clothing free from obscenities.
• Band name and lyrics of performance songs should not contain any obscenities.
• Judges can deduct points for any use of unnecessary obscenities.
• The use of any illegal substances will not be tolerated. If any band member is suspected to be under the influence of an illegal substance, the entire band will be disqualified, and the proper authorities will be notified.
• All band members are required to be present at least 30 minutes prior to performance time to check in with the coordinator. If all band members are not present and ready to set up for performance 15 minutes before going on stage, the band will be disqualified.
• All participants are required to be courteous and respectful toward other participating musicians.

EQUIPMENT AND ONSTAGE RULES:

• Participating bands will be informed prior to the 12th April what equipment will be provided by the organisers.
• Band members are responsible for the security of their equipment.
• Each band will be given the opportunity to play 2 songs.
• All songs can be original or cover songs or songs by other artists.
• There will be a strict time limit of 15 minutes for each band on stage. Please plan your songs accordingly. You may have one long song and one short song but no more than 15 minutes is allowed for the 3 songs.
• Each band will be given 10 minutes to set up and 10 minutes to break down their equipment so please keep this in mind when designing your set.
• While one band is playing, the next band may start getting ready to set up in the background. However, please do not be disruptive so that the band on stage can be the focus of the judges and the crowd.
• All bands must play live. Bands may not use pre-recorded sound material.

JUDGING CRITERIA:

• The judging system is designed to keep the contest open to all skill levels and song choices while keeping the event fair and competitive.
• Judges will be instructed to ignore “genre bias”, that is, not to reward a band for playing a type/style of music that the judge personally likes, and, conversely, not to penalize a band simply because the music isn’t agreeable with the judge’s personal taste.
• There are five categories on which each band will be judged. Each category is worth 100 points.
• At the end of each performance, the total number of points a band receives from each judge will be added together with the other judges to reach the band’s final score. In the event of a tie, there will be a tiebreaker in which each band in the tie will have an opportunity to play one song of their choice.

PLANNING/PREPAREDNESS:

• Evidence of performance planning, i.e. Choreography, demonstration of the musical/movement or program dynamics, costumes, makeup, stage props, backdrop, etc…
• Instruments and equipment made ready prior to performance, start on time, stay within time limits for set-up and break-down.
• Evidence of rehearsal, bands know the lyrics, bands appeared ready and prepared to play.

ORIGINALITY:

• Do the songs fit the genre, how unique do the songs sound, do the songs fit the set?
  Is the band’s appearance original, does the band look original, does the band stand out?
  Does the band demonstrate any level of original improvisational skill? For example, ‘jam out’ or vocal through an instrument change, repair, or equipment failure.

INTERFACE WITH AUDIENCE:

• How was the band’s verbal interaction, did the band introduce themselves, did the band talk to or with the audience?
• How was the band’s physical interaction, did the band physically participate with the audience by giving eye contact, head nods, acknowledgements, waving, gesturing, dancing with the audience or giving hand signals?
• How confident was the band in their interaction with the audience?

QUALITY OF PERFORMANCE:

• How was the band’s confidence and competence, did they look at ease while playing, did they appear to be able to do what they wanted to do?
• How was the band’s stage presence, did they use the stage effectively, did the band appear positive about their performance, did the band interact effectively on stage, how did the band cope with any problems they may have encountered?
• Was the band’s set list well-constructed and able to manipulate the audience’s mood?

PRESENTATION:

• Does the band’s attitude appear suitable to their genre? For example, were they “Punk” if Punk, “Raucous” if Rock.
• How did the audience respond to the band’s performance? The cheer level at the request of the event coordinator.