Saturday I went to see The Durex Ultimate Battle 2009 at Mercury Lounge (a fantastic venue always, with good drinks and great vibes). Three bands were playing: Autumn of August, Death like Daisies and Fox Comet. The Durex Ultimate Battle 2009 is organised by Authentic Ideas – for a want of an updated website, check it out here.

Luckily I cornered Nancy from Authentic Ideas, and she gave me the run down. +/- 120 bands nationwide entered the battle. 30 of them made it two Prelims held in KZN, East London, PE, PTA, JHB, Stellenbosch, CPT and such. From those the winners went into the Semi-final… and then the winners of those (plus wild cards) will go to the finals at Cool Runnings, Johannesburg, 2 April 2010.

Stakes are high, with prizes including: R10 000 in cash, a Luggage trailer, a live recording deal, 100s of CD’s and t-shirts, a professional biography, branded drum vellum, 3 x 2m stage banner, Durex condoms for a year, a professional photo shoot, a professional website design and hosting for a year, a headline slot on Lucky Fish 2010, a national tour in 2010 and a professional tech rider.

An estimated 120 bands entered…that’s a lot! Each band pays a R500 administration fee (ahem, R60 0000 in fees). If any of you attended a Durex Ultimate Battle event we would like to get your consensus on the Durex Ultimate Battle… is it here to stay? Pop your thoughts into the comments box below.

Check out the next post for the reviews on the bands from last Saturday night.

» Karen