About this Event
IMPORTANT INFORMATION - PLEASE READ ALL
Tue, 14.04.2026: LONDON Battle of the Bands night at the Hope & Anchor in Islington.
Sun, 17.05.2026: BRIGHTON showcase that is not associated with The Great Escape Festival but is the same weekend.
6 winners... could one be you?
Anyone has a chance of winning one of the final 6 remaining slots at our Brighton showcase on 17.05.2026... all you have to do is turn up, plug in and perform at our Battle of the Bands night and show us what you're made of!
Battle of the Bands: Hope & Anchor (Islington)
Turn up with your band (solo musicians encouraged too) and instruments to plug in and play 2 of your favourite songs. Our judges will decide who will join the Brighton showcase.
- 6 spots to be won!
- 3 judges: San Vito Ryder, Tati Martinez and our Mystery Judge.
It doesn't matter how many followers you have, or if you've never played a gig or how many Spotify monthly listeners you have. We are looking for talent only!
All are welcome to come and enjoy the shenanigans!
IMPORTANT RULES FOR PERFORMERS:
- Queue starts at 17:00 - its first come first serve so arrive early!
- To join the queue, collect a ticket with a number. Numbers will be called throughout the night. If you miss your number, you miss your place - no exeptions. All band members must be present before collecting a number.
- Write your instagram tag and email adress next to your ticket number at the box office so we can contact you.
- Please say your name while performing so we know who you are.
- 2 songs per band.
- Line-checks only (no sound checks)... plug in and play. Expect very quick changovers.
- No backing tracks.
- Hot tip: choose a song that has a longer intro as your first song. It makes line-checks easier.
- DO NOT BRING AMPS. Bring guitars, pedal boards, breakables (drummers must supply their snare drum, cymbals, kick pedal and clutch.). Full tech spec below.
- Artists must have a 30 minute set to be able to perform at the Brighton Showcase.
- £5 artist discount ticket fee per person will apply. We would love for this event to be free but all fees are to cover costs (sound engineers, venue hire and marketing). The promoters are not making a profit from this event. As each band is only playing 2 songs (and not a full set), we don't expect them to sell tickets, so we need our costs covered some other way.
Winners will be announced before Friday 24 April on the @smirkingrosepresents Instagram account so follow to find out.
If you are not selected, it doesn't mean you're rubbish! We are looking to do more nights in London and across the country so stay in touch via our instagram for more shows.
Brighton Showcase: The Pipeline
13:00-21:00 Live music
21:00-Late San Vito DJ Set
Hope & Anchor Tech Spec:
Mics & DIs
6 x Sure SM58
2 x Sure SM57
2 x Sennheiser E609
Sure PG52
3 x Sure Beta 52
4 x Sure PG56
6 x DI boxes multiple brands both passive and active.
Lots of mic stands.
Backline
Tama Drum Kit: 12 14 16 and 22 kick shells
4 x cymbal stands; hi hat stand; snare stand; throne
Minus breakables: drummers must supply their snare drum, cymbals, kick pedal and
clutch. Drum carpet provided.
2 x Fender Champion Combo 100w
Ashdown Combo 100w
Keyboard stand
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Hope & Anchor, 207 Upper Street, London, United Kingdom
GBP 5.00 to GBP 7.00
