Bands battle for gig with stars

Jack and Meg White will perform at Botanic Gardens

The BBC is offering Northern Ireland bands the chance to perform alongside some of the biggest names in music.

Five finalists are set to battle it out on Wednesday for the opportunity to play at ViTal '04 in Belfast's Botanic Gardens later this month.

Two bands will perform on the Incoming Stage on the gig days alongside headlining acts the White Stripes and The Darkness.

The winners will be chosen by the crowd when they compete at the Limelight in Belfast on Wednesday night.

BBC Radio 1's 'Incoming Competition' finalists are from Antrim, Ballymena, Belfast, Coleraine and Lurgan.

Two of the bands playing the 'Incoming' stage will be picked by the fans who will ultimately be attending the festival Donna Legge BBC Radio Ulster presenter

Last week, the BBC gave local bands the chance to send in their demos from which a handful of acts were chosen to go forward to the live final.

The five bands are The Throes, Fallout, Swurve, LaFaro and Just A Word.

BBC Radio Ulster presenter Donna Legge said: "This is an excellent opportunity for local acts to prove themselves alongside the more established artists who would receive regular airplay on Radio 1.

"There's a wealth of talent in Northern Ireland and Radio 1's 'Incoming' stage will give bands the chance to play to a whole new audience.

The Darkness will also be playing at the Belfast gig

"Two of the bands playing the 'Incoming' stage will be picked by the fans who will ultimately be attending the festival.

"This is very important as it means bands can give their all on the day confident that the crowd is there to support them."

The winning bands will perform at ViTal '04 on 25 and 30 August.