Up-and-coming bands across Shropshire and Mid Wales are being urged to send demo tapes and videos to the Shropshire Star – so they can reach a new audience of fans

It follows the successful Shropshire Star Battle of the Bands competition in April, when almost 50 local bands battled it out for prizes worth more than £5,000.

Bands are being urged to contact the Star’s features desk with full details of their forthcoming gigs, their history and their plans.

Feature writers also want to hear demos and CDs, look at photographs and CDs and find out about internet links including MySpace pages.

Andy Richardson, who helped organise the Battle of the Bands competition, said: “We know there’s lots of talented musicians of all ages across Shropshire and Mid Wales.

“We are hoping to create new opportunities to promote some of the best new music in Shropshire and Mid Wales and we’d like bands to get in touch. We need them to send their contact details, CDs or mp3 files, photographs and biographies.

“Now is the time for bands to get back in touch.”

This year’s Shropshire Star Battle of the Bands attracted 47 entries from artists across the newspaper’s circulation area.

Over 2,000 readers voted for their favourites in an online poll and a packed house watched bands battle it out at The Buttermarket, in Shrewsbury.

Send music, biographies and photographs to Andy Richardson, Shropshire Star, Waterloo Road, Ketley, Telford, TF1 5HU or e-mail new media packages to arichardson@shropshirestar.co.uk