2:20pm Monday 19th April 2010
By Patrick Knox
THEY believe they have the talent and they want to show it.
Three music acts from north Hampshire are through to the regional finals of a national talent contest.
Four-piece band The Fortunate, solo artist Kamala and rapper MCX all impressed judges at the Live and Unsigned auditions in Aldershot and in Bedford.
The nationwide contest requires would-be artists to perform before a panel of industry judges in the hope of winning a recording contract.
Now the local crop of winners will be heading for the regional final at Portsmouth Guildhall on May 30. And if they succeed there, the next stop will be London’s 02 Arena on July 10 for the national final.
Lead singer of The Fortunate, Natalie Woodward, 18, from Hartley Wintney, said the band is relaxed about the challenge ahead.
The 18-year-old said: “We are proud to have come this far and we are just going to try our best.”
She met the rest of her band while studying at Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke.
They are bassist Richard Willats, 18, from Tadley, guitarist Sam Page, 18, from Whitchurch, and drummer Simon Nash, 18, also from Whitchurch.
Rapper MCX – also known as Andre Schuster – is a 23-year-old from Winklebury in Basingstoke. He is confident he is a serious contender with his brand of rap which has wide appeal.
He said: “I think I have something new to show the audience and I will be working hard between now and the competition so that my performance is up to scratch.”
Solo artist Kamala – Nicole Rivron, from Kempshott, Basingstoke – said getting through the regional contest in Bedford was a “bit of a shock”.
The 24-year-old has been developing her singing and synth sound for the past six months and is raring to impress again.
She said: “It’s been a wonderful experience for me so far.
“I am going to enjoy it and I hope the judges do too.”
The overall winner of Live and Unsigned, the biggest original music competition in the UK for unsigned bands and artists, will be offered a recording and management contract with Future Music with an investment of up to £30,000 to release their single.
You can see Kamala at myspace.com/nixielivetime and MCX at myspace.com/xtcxman.
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