ACOUSTIC ASCENT

A number of local acts are battling it out in an acoustic competition at Live The Venue in Durban where heats are held every Thursday until the finals on September 6.

The winner of what has been billed as the Acoustic Ascent contest will walk off with a main stage slot at this year’s White Mountain Festival as well as R15,000 in prizes, including a Washburn acoustic guitar, Meteoro amplifier and JTS professional microphone and stand, courtesy of Tradelius Music Group.

“Together with Washburn Guitars, we are proud to support South Africa's emerging artists,” says Tradelius Music Group director, Donovan Rasch.

This sentiment is echoed by Live The Venue manager, Bronwyn Kingsland, who explains that the aim of the competition is to discover up-and-coming talent and give artists greater exposure, hopefully helping to kick-start their music careers. To this end, the winner will also receive a mastered recording of their final, winning set, sponsored by The Audio Suite Recording Studio in Westville.

Acoustic Ascent forms part of the build-up to KwaZulu-Natal’s only acoustic music festival, White Mountain, which takes place in the central Drakensberg over the Heritage Day long weekend from September 21 to 24.

Here the winner will have an opportunity to play alongside a great line-up of top South African artists, including the likes of Chris Chameleon, Jeremy Loops, The Nomadic Orchestra and Andrew James, among many others. (Visit www.whitemountain.co.za for the full programme.)

Live The Venue is situated at 166 Mathews Meyiwa Road in Morningside. Tickets for the Acoustic Ascent heats cost R20 on the night and doors open at 19h00.

Artists wishing to enter the competition can download entry forms via www.livethevenue.co.za