“The International Blues Challenge represents an international search by The Blues Foundation and its Affiliated Organizations (mostly blues societies) for the Blues Band and Solo/Duo Blues Act ready to perform on a national stage, but just need that extra break. Each Affiliate of The Blues Foundation has the right to send a band and solo/duo act to represent the organization at the IBC Semi-Finals on Beale Street in Memphis, TN.”
How to Enter
- Read the rules on this page
- Submit your entry form at the bottom of the page
- Wait for your time slot to be announced
- Play the blues!
SCV Battle of the Bands Entry Instructions
Each year, a Battle of the Bands is held to choose and help finance our International Blues Competition (IBC) winner’s trip to Memphis. The winning band will receive a minimum of $3,000 in addition to the chance to compete with some of the best blues bands in the country
This year’s Battle of the Bands will be October 13th from 1:00 P.M. to 4:45 P.M. at the Newhall American Legion Hall Post 507, 24527 Spruce Street, Newhall. Competition may include up to 6 bands.
If you a member of a blues band and would like to enter the 2024 Battle of the Bands, we welcome you to join us! All band leaders must be current members of the Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society to compete in the Battle of the Bands. Membership applications are available on our website at http://www.scvblues.com/membership. Note: Each member of the winning band must also belong to or become an SCVBS member to qualify for the IBC competition in Memphis. The entry fee for the 2024 event is $100 per band and can be paid at the door on the day of the event.
The Rules
As with any competition, here are rules for the Battle of the Bands:
We will base our event on IBC Rules. A tightly-run schedule is important. 1PM – 4:45PM is the current suggested time slot for this event.
Band Set Up and Transitions
The set up and switching out of bands is based on the Memphis clubs’ model at the International Blues Challenge. Briefly, bands may only set up 10 minutes prior to playing their set. No sound checks for first band.
Scheduling
All bands must start at exactly their scheduled time and will play a minimum of 23 minutes and maximum of 25 minutes of music in a set. If a band doesn’t show up, the rest of the bands will not be pulled forward. This is to make sure that people wanting to see their favorite band(s) will still have the chance, without a sudden change in the schedule. A solo artist would be on hand to fill in the time if needed.
Please note that this schedule will be modified depending on how many bands compete. The bands assigned to each time slot will be drawn from a hat on October 7th by a board member who is not competing. The time slots of the actual competition will then be set in stone that evening. After the announcement of time slots, bands may request to trade place due to other commitments or gigs. Schedule re-assignments will be determined by the Battle of the Bands Committee.
Tentative Time SLots:
1:00- 1:15 PM. Introduction and rules announcement.
1:15-1:25 Set up of First band.
1:25-1:50 Band #1
2:00-2:25 Band #2
2:35-3:00 Band #3
3:10- 3:35 Band #4
3:45- 4:10 Band #5
4:20- 4:45 Band #6
If a solo category is needed, we could do it Sunday morning as an option.
(We already had one person call about the solo/duo event.)
Winner Announcement
Following the last competing band, the monthly 2nd Sunday Jam will begin at the usual time of 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.
Announcement of the Runner Up and Winner bands will happen after the first jam set at approximately 5:30 P.M.
The winning band will be required to host our January 5th Jam and may be asked to assist in one Friday night fund raiser in December 2024.
Best of luck to our outstanding Blues bands!
To enter your band in the 2024 Battle of the Bands, please complete and submit the Band Entry Submission Form button, below.