Are you ready for the carnage?
Battle of the Bands is BACK in 2024, thanks to Glass Magazine and the QUT Student Guild. Yippee!
Kicking off in Week 1, we’re set for seven straight weeks of musical goodness. So, here’s all you need to know for Battle of the Bands.
What are you even talking about?
It’s simple, really. We’re running a seven-week competition, with eight QUT student bands competing at the Botanic Bar every week to gain the crown of QUT’s best band (and the $4000 prize).
It’ll be run in heats, with new bands playing against each other from Week 1 to Week 4. In Weeks 5 and 6, we’ll have the semi-finals, where the winners of each heat will face off against each other.
And, finally, in Week 7, we’ll have the Grand Final. Winner takes all…. though the runner up will get a solid $1000 prize too.
Okay, fine, I’m keen. What are the details?
The first round of heats begins next week, on Tuesday 23 July at 6pm at the Botanic Bar on Gardens Point campus. The subsequent rounds will follow the same timeline, with the events being held each Tuesday at 6pm at Bot Bar.
Each band will play for 20 minutes, with mostly original songs (and one cover). They’re all QUT bands, with at least 50% being current QUT students – we checked, don’t worry.
Who decides which band is the best?
You do! Well, partly. We have a foolproof three-tiered voting system in place.
Tier 1: You! The crowd should always have a say. Make sure to get to Botanic Bar between 5pm and halfway through the first band’s set (which will probably be around 6:30pm, FYI). If you arrive within that period, you’ll be handed a voting token. Don’t lose it! After both bands have performed, there’ll be a time for you to vote by placing your token into the voting box with your favourite band’s name on it. So, if your friend is performing (and you want them to win), make sure to show up on time and vote for them.
Tier 2: The bar staff deserve an opinion, too. Each week, the staff working at the bar that night will get to pick their favourite act. In other words, be nice to your bartender. They’ll be paying attention.
Tier 3: Who better to judge than a judge? Each week, we’ll have a guest judge come in to cast their professional vote – from fellow musicians to industry partners, the whole music world is getting involved.
And, from there, it’s just a ‘best of three’ situation. Majority rules, baby.
Why is it at Botanic Bar?
Fun fact: The Bot Bar is actually run by Student Guild! So, the profits made at the bar go straight back into funding your own student union. How cool is that?
Wanna keep it that way? Make sure to check out this article and sign this petition.
Anything else?
Not really! We’ll see you on Tuesday for Round 1!!! Rock on, my dudes.
