This article was published in 2006.

Last week we revealed details of the Futuresound competition, through which six local bands get the opportunity to play at the Leeds Festival (Bramham Park, August Bank Holiday weekend) and this week follows the announcement of the Lee Unsigned Stage, undoubtedly the success story of the festival in 2005.

The calibre of bands playing the stage last year was high, with many gaining wider national recognition in recent months - bands such as This Et Al, Harrisons, iLiKETRAiNS, 65 Days Of Static and The Sunshine Underground.

Today festival organisers Mean Fiddler have announced that the stage for up and coming bands will return for a second year and will offer a further twenty bands the opportunity to play at the 65,000 capacity sell-out Leeds Festival.

Melvyn Benn of Mean Fiddler said to BBC Raw Talent: “We're going to have bands that are genuinely challenging for superstardom in years to come. It’s one of those things about Leeds. There isn’t an unsigned stage at Reading. There isn’t an unsigned stage at any of these other commercial festivals that I don’t want to talk about. There is an unsigned stage here at Leeds because of your [Alan Raw, BBC] pushing but it's there to stay.“

If you’re in a band and wish to play at the festival then the North’s greatest music print paper Sandman Magazine are accepting applications now. You must send in an audio CD (and importantly your contact details) by Monday, 12th June to:

Sandman Magazine
(Leeds Festival COMPETITION)
PO Box 3720
Sheffield
S10 9AB

The Unsigned Stage runs between midday and 7.30pm on each of the festival's three days.