Where will it take place?

Heats and the grand final take place at Millsy's Cafe Bar in Earlsdon, Coventry, CV5 6EG.

Who can apply for Millsy's Live Music Competition?

As standard the competition is open to any musicians aged 18 and over. 1 act per heat can be aged 16 or over but must perform on the first performance slot at 8pm and be accompanied by an adult.

I'm a solo artist and I don't have a band, can I still play?

Absolutely - the majority of acts are solo performers who play either guitar or piano. You can sing to a backing track, but keep in mind that the acts who progress to the final typically have a live musical accompaniment.  

Can I perform with a band?

While we have occasionally had groups perform, the majority of acts will be either solo performers or duets. The size of the venue unfortunately means it is not suitable for a full drum kit, so if you'd like to include percussion then this needs to be limited to a cajon, or percussion played via backing track.

How do I apply?

Just fill in this form and we'll be in touch!

How long are the sets?

Each act is asked to perform a minimum of two original compositions in their heat.

Can I play cover songs?

You can play covers but generally the crowd and the judges look for originality - keep in mind that the acts who have gone on to the final in previous years are usually acts with their own original songs.

How does the voting work and who decides which acts go through the final?

Voting for the competition is run as a rolling leader board. Each competition night the audience will be asked to vote for their favourite act, with the most popular being awarded top points for the evening. The staff will have the second vote and will rank the acts according to preference.

On Fridays and Saturdays our booked performer will be invited to be a guest judge, and on Sundays our Open Mic host will provide the 3rd 'guest judge' vote.

Once the votes have been collected these will be converted into points and each act will be placed on the leaderboard. At the end of all the competition nights the 10 acts at the top of the leaderboard will be invited to the final.

What are the prizes?

The top prize in the grand final is a £500 voucher for Express Music store in Leamington, with 2nd place receiving a £100 Express Music voucher, and 3rd place receiving £50 in Millsy's vouchers. Selected individual heats will also have their own bar tabs up for grabs!

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