SUFFOLK rock band Underline The Sky will open this year's V Festival after winning an unsigned band competition, it has been announced.

SUFFOLK rock band Underline The Sky will open this year's V Festival after winning an unsigned band competition, it has been announced.

The Ipswich-based group were plucked from more than 2,600 hopefuls who entered the Road To V contest.

Mentors Just Jack and The Charlatans whittled 10 semi-finalists down to the final six, and two winners were chosen by music fans.

Rock quintet The Last Republic, from Swansea, will also join the line-up with Oasis, The Killers and Snow Patrol at Chelmsford and Stafford on August 22-23.

Underline The Sky lead singer Bronwyn Cooper said: "The competition was immense, but the hard work had paid off now and our dream has come true.'

Since 2004, Road To V has nurtured new talent with bands such as quirky post-punk trio The Young Knives, who opened V Festival and went on to attract a Mercury Prize nomination.

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