A Basingstoke band is one step away from the national final of a competition to find original unsigned acts.
Four-piece Stricken22 take to Portsmouth’s Guildhall stage for the Live And Unsigned area finals on May 21.
Success on the south coast will take them to London’s O2 Arena and the chance to win a recording contract worth £50,000.
Lead singer and guitarist Sam Pitter heads up the band alongside rhythm guitarist Floyd Woods, bass player Jonnie Adams, and drummer David Miller.
The group will have just one chance to impress the judges by performing a song that is part original, part cover.
Sam, a banker from Kempshott, said: “We’re going to mix it up a bit.
“I don’t think it has sunk in just yet that we’re three and a half minutes away from performing at the O2 final.
“It will be the most important few minutes of our career.”
Sam and Floyd, both 20, started up the band in 2006, with David, 24, joining in 2009,
Jonnie, 22, joined the band after their success at the regional finals on April 23, again in Portsmouth’s Guildhall.He replaced 16-year-old Adam Harding, whose GCSE’s exams have forced him to bow out of the competition.
Sam said the band is disappointed for Adam, but he does not think last minute switch will affect their chances.
He said: “Jonnie’s really up for it, he’s seen us play at gigs and likes what we do so he was really happy to come and play for us.”
Sam’s dad and Stricken22’s unofficial manager, Jamie Pitter, said the band is excited about their progress so far.
He said: “They have done fantastically.
“We had a lot of fans with us at the regional finals– the band have a really good, solid following.
He claimed the judges’ feedback on the night was encouraging, and the group are excited about their next performance.
“They’re looking for a record deal and a tour,” he said.
“If they win this competition then they’ll be chucking their jobs in and going for it.”
Sam described the band as “absolutely over the moon” to have progressed so far in a competition they originally only entered for experience.
“It’s amazing to get this far,” he said.
“We’ll keep doing what we’re doing, try really hard and lets see how much further we can go.
“If we make it, great, and if we don’t then we’ll have had a lot of fun trying.”
Live And Unsigned is one of the country’s largest music competitions, with over 10,000 acts auditioning.
Entrants are judged on musical ability, originality, professionalism and performance.
Final winners will be crowned the UK’s Best Live and Unsigned Act, walking away with a recording contract, international publicity and 100-show UK tour.
For more information, visit www.liveandunsigned.uk.com
