After half a year of competition and 3,000 entries, GBOB (Global Battle Of The Bands) reaches a climax on Sunday and Monday as the international winner is decided in London.
The World finals are to be held at the Scala in Kings Cross on December 14 and 15 as the 26 finalists battle for the £70,000 prize money in the biggest competition of its kind in the world.
Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols is one of the judges and he gave us a bell to tell us about the international battle of the bands: "I did it last year, it’s a laugh. My mate runs it.
"This is the grand finale. I mentioned it to my sons; one’s nearly 16 and they are rock & roll wannabes and they said it was a real big deal.
"The kind of music really varies from pop rock to . . . all styles. Last year the two main contenders were a bunch of kids from LA who sounded like early Slade. It was a glam rock kind of thing and they were only 12 or 13!
"They nearly won but they were pipped at the post by a band from the Faroe Islands but their time will come around eventually.
"The winners of the competition win a world tour and a recording contract."
Matlock quipped: "I guess the band in the Faroe Islands have lots of time on their hands to hone their craft when not catching fish."
Speaking about his paymasters he continued: "The Sex Pistols? we’ve done our bit this year…we’ll meet again in the new year and see what we want to…
"We were not recording a new album – I think that journalists are making it up, but you can never say never. We all got ideas between us. It’s a double edged sword if you do it not good as the original and if you don’t do it people want to know why but it’s up to us. We are the masters of our own destiny.
"Would the Sex Pistols have ever been in a competion like this? It’s a different kind of thing really – different times – can’t imagine it though!
"Life has moved on. John [Lydon] has judged a battle of the bands thing in America – doing this is part of life’s rich pageant and I like to encourage young kids. I go out and see new bands in phases – I tend to go and see bands I have a connection with – mates’ kids bands."
Representing their countries this year will be on Sunday December 14: Powerage (Australia), Wallace Vanborn (Belgium), Ladyfire (Faroe Islands), Curanderos (Germany), C-cord (Indonesia), Restless Soul (Italy), Pinky Piglets (Japan), Sorry Boys (Poland), The Leads (Scotland), Tea Break (Serbia), Darksound (Spain), Tango Tempo (Ukraine); and on Monday December 15: Fable (Canada), Killer Soap (China), Abroad Experiments (Croatia), Metro (Denmark), Floors And Walls (England), Agent Fresco (Iceland), Baby Jenx (Ireland), Lab Rat (Malaysia), Todo (Moldova), Christine (Norway), Phoenix (Pakistan), The Marker (Romania), Broke City (US) and Kali Mist (Wales).
Tickets for the event are on sale now priced £10 per day, or £15 for both days and are available from from The Scala box office 020 7833 2022 and www.ticketweb.co.uk.
Check out some of the music here:
Great rock hopes and debut finalists from China, Killer Soap
Brighton’s indie-pop Streets-meets-Arctics crew Floors And Walls
Teenage AC/DC-flavoured Oz mayhem from Powerage
QOTSA-style Belgian stoner-rock gods Wallace Vanborn
Ukraine’s Gorillaz/Massive Attack trip-hoppers Tango Tempo
