Band comp final tonight a tough task for judges

THE Mercury BlueScope Band Comp judges have quite a task on their hands tonight.When the competition final kicks off at Wollongong's Regent Theatre from 7pm, they will decide the fate of 10 top young Illawarra bands, with the winner to receive a $5000 recording package and $5000 cash. Talented Kiama rock band The Polaroid People, one of two wild-card entries, boasts one of the youngest line-ups in the competition, with each member aged just 15.The teenagers have only performed together since March, and drummer Jordan Dunster said they were thrilled to have a second shot at the title."I'm pretty stoked," he said. "We didn't expect to get in. "We haven't had many gigs, it's pretty hard because we're all under-age."The band's members are all in the same music class at Kiama High School and, as the band grew in size, they became more serious about their music."Joe Knott and I were playing together, just acoustic songs with drums, and then we advertised for a bass guitarist," he said. "We ended up getting together with this guy in our music extension class, Ryan Mullaney. "Then we hooked up with guitarist Matt Lewis, who was also in our music class."Drawing inspiration from American bands Mayday Parade, Boys Like Girls, Panic at the Disco and Australian band The Getaway Plan, the Year 9 youths have developed their own distinct sound. WHEN: Kicks off tonight at 7pmWHERE: Regent Theatre, WollongongHOW MUCH: $6 entryDETAILS: Featuring 10 of the Illawarra's best young bands