BUDDING musicians are set to battle it out to win a recording session.

Herrison Hall in Charlton Down will be the venue for a Battle of the Bands competition next Monday.

Kicking off at 7.15pm the night aims to be an alternative to other Hallowe’en events.

Ten local up-and-coming bands including Lost in Transition, Dopey Notes, The Biscuit Whisperers and Front to Back are lined up to fight it out for the top prize of a two-day recording session at a professional studio.

There will also be a trophy – made and donated by Richard Steer. This will be awarded to the winning band and kept for a year until the musical battle begins again.

The event is being run by the Dorchester Family Church and they have been helped in the planning and organising by youth club leaders, churches and community spirited individuals.

Event organiser Deborah Perry said: “It is a privilege to be involved in putting on a live music event for this age group. We hope the success of this event will enable us to do it all again next year.”

Dorchester Community Youth Club Kieren Alder and Richard Merrix said they hoped the event would be a huge success.

Richard said: “We hope to pack the hall with people from all around the area.

“The bands are really looking forward to performing in front of the judges and an audience.

“Being in a band myself, it’s an awesome feeling performing with your friends in front of lots of people.

“But this will be a test of nerves performing in front of four judges to win such an awesome prize. We hope for this to take off big style, so we can carry on with more events like this.”

Kieren said: “I hope it turns out to be huge. The bigger, the better.”

Tickets for the event cost £3 and are available from Harmony Music in Dorchester and the Londis shop in Charlton Down. Current pupils of Thomas Hardy School will be able to purchase their tickets at the school.

Every ticket will get the owner a free soft drink and glowing wrist band on the night.