Expert judges and the public have cast their vote, and whittled down this year’s FSN entries to six finalists. These artists now get to play the Rock City main stage, and have the chance to open Splendour Festival, too, if they tick all the right boxes. Not only will they perform on Sunday in front of the biggest crowd of their lives, but also in front of a panel of industry professionals from music and media, who, if they like what they see, have the connections to help.
It sounds cheesy, but FSN is all about the taking part bit which always lands the acts some pretty great opportunities such as huge amounts of media exposure, and showcasing their talents to people who can help them.
These lot below get half the vote, as do the Notts public. Here’s a little rundown of who’s on the panel this year…
Ali Emm
As the Editor of the most popular Nottingham culture magazine for years (little mag, called LeftLion, ever heard of it?), Ali knows a hell of a lot about the city and its local music scene. So, make some sweet, sweet love to her ears - and you could very well end up with plenty of people reading about your tunes (and your lovemaking ability.)
Anton Lockwood
Anton started his career by setting up his own club night, then swiftly moved on to booking some acts; you know, just yer standard bands like The White Stripes, The Strokes and The Libertines! He is now the Promotions Director for the DHP family, and is one of the central organisers for huge events such as Splendour and Dot to Dot Festival.
Craig Chettle
Craig’s career has seen pretty much every side of the music industry, having had jobs ranging from tour managing to sound engineering, working with acts such as Tindersticks and Lawnmower Death. He's now the founder and Managing Director of Confetti Media Group, as well as the Chair of Notts TV.
Dom Gourlay
Drowned in Sound journalist, Dom, has covered some of the most well-known and respected bands in the industry. Plus, DiS is one of the most read music websites in the world. So, if this man falls in love with your music - you'll gain some pretty epic exposure.
As Arts and Entertainment correspondent for BBC East Midlands Geeta covers all the big music stories impacting the EM region, be that Kasabian playing stadiums or flying out to cover Eurovision. She also regularly presents East Midlands Today. Nottingham wise Geeta was the first TV journo to cover the rise of the local scene and can regularly be seen out at gigs about town.
She’s the only breakfast radio DJ in Notts to play local music (you’ll find her on 97.5 Kemet FM) - and an all round lovely human who can be found supporting local music all the time. And - this year she has kindly agreed to be our chair of judges, sitting on all rounds and overseeing the counting of the scores on the night.
Bez is the lady that puts the pretty faces of Nottingham musicians on the telleh every Friday. She hosts Notts TV’s 6:30 Show, and is an all round superfan of Notts music, having artists such as Saint Raymond, Kagoule and Liam Bailey all in on the sofa.
Simon Wilson
As Entertainment Editor at the Nottingham Post, Simon has interviewed pretty much every star that’s graced Nottingham; from Beyonce, to 50 Cent, to Dolly Parton. He’s even interviewed Peter Andre and Katie Price, the poor man. Though, don’t let these big names intimidate you, he’ll still probably end up calling you ducky.
The Future Sound of Nottingham Final, 6.30pm, Sunday 19 June, Rock City. Entry is free and no tickets are required.
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