HebCelt hunts for new talent

HebCelt headliners The Waterboys will be joined by fresh talent at the Lewis musical festival this July.

FRIDAY the 13th will be a lucky day for an up and coming artist or group who will be given the opportunity to showcase their talents at one of the summer’s hottest music festivals.

This year’s Hebridean Celtic Festival, which will be headlined by The Waterboys, The Proclaimers and Kassidy, is offering a performance slot for a new band or singer during the four-day flagship event.

The 17th HebCelt, which runs from 11th to 14th July, attracts visitors from around the world and already fans from across Europe, the USA and Canada have snapped up early bird tickets.

The One Step Further competition is open to any young band or performer, aged between 18 and 25 at the time of the festival, playing a genre of music that reflects the general programming of the event.

The winner will be able to perform live on 13 July in front of the festival audience on the second stage within the main HebCelt arena.

Festival Director, Caroline MacLennan, said: “This is an incredible opportunity for an individual or group to present their talent to a large audience who are always keen to hear new music.

“The festival supports emerging talent from throughout the Celtic nations. However we recognise that it can be challenging for those starting out to break through, especially at a major event like the festival, so we want to encourage applicants to think creatively about how best to present their work to get that start.”

The competition is supported by internationally renowned musician Phil Cunningham, well known as a champion of young talent.

“This is a fantastic idea from the festival organisers which could give an individual or group the chance of a breakthrough at a major event," he commented.

“Playing to a live audience is the ultimate for a performer and where better than HebCelt for young artists or bands in the Celtic genre to make a name for themselves.”

Entrants need to prepare a promotional pack in electronic format to sell their music to the judges. This should include high resolution imagery, a biography and links to three good quality recordings of their music. To enhance their pack they can also include links to their live video performances.

Submissions should be sent, marked HebCelt New Talent Submissions, by email to office@hebceltfest.com by midnight on Friday, 6 April.

Judging will take place throughout the month with the winning artist or artists being chosen by 27 April.

The HebCelt organisers will also offer the winner £200 towards expenses to attend the festival as well as passes to enjoy the rest of the event.