BATTLING BANDS GET THE BENEFIT OF GREAT SOUND
28 February 2001

Swansea University's annual Battle of the Bands competition will sound better than ever this year thanks to Welsh live sound company Big Sound, which is supplying the PA equipment including a range of Powercube speakers designed by legendary speaker guru Malcolm Hill. Organised by Swansea University's Student's Union, Battle of the Bands kicks off with the first of three heats on February 28th. Four bands will play at each heat with each heat winner going on to the final, which takes place at on March 21st.

The judging panel includes representatives from the music industry and the winning band will receive 50 copies of a three-track enhanced CD including a video highlighting their live performance, along with an invitation to play at the University's annual summer ball. Production of the enhanced CDs is being handled by Swansea-based production company and record label Mighty Atom, in conjunction with Big Sound, which is recording each heat on multitrack.

Duncan Wild, head of Big Sound, says: "Along with a range of PA equipment, we are supplying a 32-track mobile recording rig based around Tascam DA78 digital recorders so that we can capture the best performances for the winner's prize. We are delighted to be involved with Battle of the Bands as it gives us a great opportunity to demonstrate our ability to provide superior live sound and high quality live recordings."

Swansea University Students Union President Ian Angus says: "The Student Union has long been a breeding ground for live music and new talent and we are delighted to be continuing this tradition. Battle of the Bands is an important event in the University's calendar and it is always well supported. Thanks to Big Sound and Mighty Atom's involvement, this year we will be able to present the winner with a recording of their performance that can be used as a high quality demo."

In previous years Battle of the Band winners have gone on to have local success and one or two have also supported professional artists such as Travis and Jools Holland. Among the bands taking place in this year's competition are Leash, Refrain, Spit Roast and Dopamine.