In a tight result, this year’s Australasian Final delivered a fine winner in 5-piece Newcastle band, The Tillegra Damned! They are ready to stand up on our behalf at the World Final, having put up a courageous fight by qualifying through the Newcastle Heat back in July, and the NSW Regional Final in November. The lively, hard rocking group was extremely happy to get the gong, and also to win the right to perform at the next Musicoz Awards Afterparty! This success adds to the string of good gigs the boys have had lately, including playing alongside some great Australian rock acts such as After The Fall, Jericco, Electric Horse, Engine Three Seven and Helm.

The Tillegra Damned have big shoes to fill if they want to walk in the footsteps of fellow Novercastrians, Powerage, who happened to become GBOB Australasian Final winners in 2008. That year, Powerage was flown to London for the World Final , and managed to come in 2nd place on the World stage, just a smidgen away from the US$100,000 grand prize!

Another excited band in this year’s GBOB Australasian Final, was runner up Freak Morice from Brisbane. The family group which included an incredible 11yo keyboard player, really did Southern QLD proud. They also revelled in the fabulous 2nd place prize of a Hiwatt Amp and a MarkBass Amp, which together are worth over $5,000, and put out super powerful sounds!

All the bands in the Final did extremely well – including 3rd place getters Kabanaz from Wellington, New Zealand. Two Victorian bands, Jasmine Eyes from Melbourne, and The 80 Aces from Warrnambool, had lucky members who won supremely top quality instruments from MusicMan - a Sterling Silver Silhouette Special Guitar and a Black Stingray Bass!

The other bands (in alphabetical order) were: Apple Fat (Brisbane), Dali and the Paper Band (Hobart), JDMo (Western Sydney), Kids with Kids (Sydney), Living Resonance (Albany), Munition (Atherton), Projekt Tile (Cairns), Stone Circle (Perth) and The Truants (Townsville). Every member of all bands in the Australasian Final won themselves a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor shoes, as well as picking up FujiFilm Finepix XP10 Digital Cameras and Ernie Ball packs.

YHA was a welcome accommodation sponsor for the bands that travelled to Sydney for the GBOB Australasian Final.

We look forward to the next stage of the competition, and hope The Tillegra Damned will enjoy a fascinating and successful trip to Malaysia! They’re sure to make an impact!!! Their progress will be followed by GBOB Media Sponsors, including Home Brew Radio, Australian Guitar Magazine, WIN Televison, Regional Media Works, Hotsource.com.au and Aussie Media.

Any bands interested in entering GBOB in 2011, should email redletter@bigpond.com or call Clare on
02 9519 3978.