AN EXCITING finale to the 2011 Okehampton Battle of the Bands thrilled crowds in Simmons Park last Saturday.

The competition kicked off in late July with the first of three qualifying heats, and Saturday's Party in the Park saw the four bands who had made it through the heats take to the stage in the park along with headline act Ultimate Madness.

The weather stayed dry as people poured into the park to witness a night of fantastic music which can now claim to be one of the key events on Okehampton's entertainment calendar.

Organiser Chris Hodgson was thrilled with how this year's event went: 'We wanted to do something really special and create a mini-festival in the park.

'Simmons Park came alive on Saturday and the Battle of the Bands came of age. The weather held and the crowds thronged into the park.

'All of the bands were brilliant and, to give the judges a really tough time, they all did something a little bit different to what they had done in the heats.

'Headliners Ultimate Madness were a real crowd pleaser, performing all of the great Madness tracks.

'The Party in the Park was exactly what we set out for it to be — one big community party, everybody dancing, singing and cheering.'

First band on stage was Okehampton metal band First Requiem, who made it through to the finale as the wildcard choice of the judges. Their blistering guitar riffs, passionate vocals and machine-gun like drumming were a perfect energetic way to kick off the event.

Second on were Ten Zero One. The four-piece band from Tavistock, whose members are aged between 12 and 14, played with great composure and were well rehearsed with a tight set. The group merged classic covers with original material, and proved age does not matter at the Battle of the Bands.

Backbench Rebellion from Crediton brought indie sound to the contest, with twangy guitars and inventive bass lines playing a prominent part in their set. The band confidently stormed through their set comprised of their own original material, including the title track from their debut EP, 'Back to the Wall'.

The final band was Okehampton's own Monkey Gland Blues Band. In contrast with Ten Zero One the band have years of cumulative experience to fall back on, and it showed as the edgy blues, soaring harmonicas and devil may-care attitude wowed the crowd.

The judges were in for a tough decision, praising the high standard set throughout the evening.

The Monkey Gland Blues Band were chosen as the winners with their experience and rough-and-ready style winning round the judges.

As well as the prestigious trophy, kindly donated by Jackie from Pearsalls Jewellers, the band won a billing at Chagstock 2012, the chance to produce a music video courtesy of Off the Planet Productions and a bottle of champagne courtesy of Waitrose.

The other three bands were awarded a range of prizes including a photo shoot, billing at TavisRock 2011, and recording time at Aardvark Studios.

There were also two individual accolades handed out. Musician of the night award went to Ten Zero One guitarist Charlie Smith, and the performer of the night was George Holman, bassist for First Requiem.

As well as the live music there was plenty more on offer, including the mountain bike trial riding skills of Andrei Burton, one of the top elite trials riders in the world. Andrei rode with cyclists from Oke FreeRiders, dazzling spectators with their skills. OCRA and Dance Fusion were also on hand to entertain the crowd, and the annual air guitar competition made a welcome return.

The event committee this week thanked Steven's Estate Agents and the Plymouth Inn, the main sponsors of this year's event, and all local businesses and organisations that gave their support, as well as everybody who attended the heats and the Party in the Park.