THE HEADLINE band for Okehampton's 2007 Battle of the Bands has been announced this week. Queen tribute band 'GaGa' come from Merseyside and have been hailed by reviewers as 'the best tribute band in the world'. The band has brought out a number of Queen tribute albums since it was created in 1989 — though its motto remains: 'No wigs, no make-up and no false moustache, just pure rock n roll.' Over recent years, Ga Ga has strutted its stuff alongside the Spice Girls and Peter Andre at the 'Party in the Park' festival, and with Squeeze and Frank Skinner for the Prince's Trust. They have performed in gigs across the country and in locations as far away as Holland and Dubai. Battle of the Bands organiser Richard Appleby is excited to have scooped the band for Okehampton. But he is still searching for more bands to perform alongside GaGa. He said: 'Twelve bands have signed up for the competition, but there are still places left for another twelve. 'We don't audition for the competition — the places are just there on a first-come, first served basis.' 'All bands need to do is make sure they have enough material to perform for twenty minutes. That can be either original material or covers.' He added that the Battle of the Bands instrument library had now started, so that bands lacking all their own equipment could still take part in the competition. The Battle of the Bands final, featuring GaGa, will take place in Simmons Park on August 11, with the heats for the competition taking place between July 19 and 26 and on August 2. Entry forms are available from Millennium Music in the Arcade, or by calling Richard on 01837 659249.
