Top unsigned bands from across Norfolk and Suffolk will battle it out to be crowned the winner of Band DISScovery 2011.

Organisers behind the new competition, based at Diss Corn Hall in association with Pyramid Audio and The Music Outpost, were flooded with entries over the Christmas period.

They have now whittled the numbers down to 16 talented contenders who will play in four heats with the winner of each, chosen by a set of judges, going straight through to the grand final on April 8.

In addition, audiences will also have the opportunity to vote through to the final their favourite band from the heats in a ballot using their entry tickets.

Prizes for the Band DISScovery champion will include a three track EP professionally recorded at Music Outpost Studios, in Rushall, free state-of-the-art PA hire and the services of a sound engineer for a gig in East Anglia, their own gig at the Corn Hall, a CD of their live performance at the grand final and the opportunity to perform for crowds at Diss Carnival.

Three judges will adjudicate each heat taken from a pool of movers and shakers from the local music industry including Jono Heale, from Access to Music, Simon Pickering, organiser of Bury Sound, Jo Bowley, lead singer of the BB's and youth worker, Brett Baber, East Anglian music promoter, Sandra Robinson, publicity officer for Bury APEX and BBC Blast, Terence Blacker, singer/songwriter and newspaper columnist, David Stapleton, manager of Bury's LP club, and Mick Ryder, tour and production manager for Black Sabbath and UB40.

Angela Sykes, manager of the Corn Hall, said the standard of the bands was high.

'We had expectations that they were going to be quite good but we were listening to them and our jaws hit the ground. It was just incredible,' she said.

Tickets costs �4 in advance or �5 on the door and are on sale now at the Corn Hall box office on 01379 652241 or www.disscornhall.co.uk.

Each heat will take place at the Corn Hall from 7.30pm. The details and contenders are:

Heat One - February 18

Easy Brothers, from Old Buckenham

Fick As Fieves, from Aldeburgh

Serious Delirium, from Stowmarket

Typewriter Radio, from Norwich

Heat Two - March 4

Cataclysmics, from Roydon

Crumbs For Comfort, from Mulbarton

One String Down, from Attleborough

Twisted Piglet, from Eye

Heat Three - March 18

Sohcahtoa, from Eye

A Deeper Dreed, from Thurston

Woodland Creatures, from Norwich

Clouded Vodka, from Attleborough

Heat Four - April 1

Electric Youth Revolt, from Diss

Swarmed, from Mulbarton

Lost?, from Saxlingham Thorpe

Feed Me To The Villains, from Norwich