Budding bands from across the county are getting ready to show what they learnt from rock outfit Underline The Sky during the Love Music Live school tour.

Ten acts who took part in the event will compete at a special awards evening at Ipswich Corn Exchange from 6pm this Thursday.

Up for grabs, musical equipment donated by Sounds Plus, Bury, worth �2,000.

Performing are Far From The Ordinary, Stowupland High School; Ipswich School 6th Form Choir; Overload, Stowmarket High School; Lauren Dixon and Meg Kalafat, Ipswich High School; The Rest Is Noise, Farlingaye High School; The Five Stripes, Holbrook High School; St Joseph’s College Choir; The Bunny Catchers and Stoke High School, Irrelevant Protest, Northgate and Abbi Harrison, Leiston Community High School.

Fifteen schools took part in a series of workshops that covered key skills within the music industry.

The band shared experiences with pupils like playing the 02 arena, V Festival and dealing with record labels.

“It was a really fun time and Underline The Sky were just amazing,” said Leiston Community High School year ten music student Lauren Cloke.

Headteacher Ian Flintoff added: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to work and learn from a gifted and popular rock band with a huge following in the east of England.

“Love Music Live is both a fun way of learning while still re-enforcing the reality of the skills needed within the music industry. It shows success equals not only talent but hard work and practice.”

The show will also feature a full set from Underline The Sky whose meteoric rise continues, even getting a mention on Ed Sheeran’s album.

“I only tend to work with bands that I genuinely enjoy and it’s nice to see them grow their fan-base further as a product of what we have put together over the past few months,” said Sam Robson, of Archant’s events team, who managed the Love Music Live event and has also tour managed Underline The Sky in recent months.

Tickets for the awards evening are available from the East Anglian Daily Times and Evening Star offices in Lower Brook Street, Ipswich or from the front office of any of the schools involved.

They are �5 in advance. Call 01473 324597 for more details.