Registration

All bands registering for The GBOB Challenge must read and accept the following rules and regulations before completing the registration form.

The registration must contain band name and a contact person with valid email and telephone contact details. If any band member is not of legal age, one responsible parent or guardian must accompany the band to the concert.

Bands can have a minimum of two (2) and up to a maximum of eight (8) members unless special approval has been granted by GBOB International. Adding additional band members after registration is prohibited without the consent of GBOB International. Replacing more than one-third of band members is prohibited without the consent of GBOB International.

Competition Procedure

The GBOB Challenge is a three-step process. In each country there will be (1) Local Qualifying Events (and, if required, regional finals) leading to (2) a National Final. The winners of National Finals will go forward to (3) the World Final. If a Qualifying Event takes place over two or more nights, the winning band from each night will go forward to the National Final. If the National Final needs to take place over two or more nights there will be a further Super Final to determine the overall winner. The same procedure as for National Finals applys to the World Final.

Rules relevant to all stages of the competition

Judging
The organisers will appoint three or more respected figures from the music business to act as judges.

Equipment and Onstage Rules
The organisers will provide a high quality sound and lighting system, which all the bands will use.

The organisers will provide all drums, bass and guitar amplifiers, microphones, monitors and backline equipment used in all GBOB Challenge events.

The organisers will provide all sound and lighting engineers as well as all necessary stage crew.

Band members will bring any personal instruments such as guitars, basses and keyboards as well as any effects pedals etc. Drummers will bring their own bass drum pedal and drumsticks.

All bands must use the same backline and drums provided by the organisers. Keyboards and any special equipment – other than personal instruments such as guitars –will be placed on stage before the concert begins and will remain there until the end of the concert.

To keep changeover times to a minimum, any bands with a left-handed drummer will play either first or last on the bill.

All bands must follow instructions given by the organisers and the appointed stage manager.

It is not permitted to use pre-recorded sound material. All bands must play live.

Cover versions are not permitted. All songs must be original although not necessarily written by the band themselves.

Bands will play two songs each. The total playing time for each band must not exceed 8 minutes.

Pyrotechnics, confetti and other visual effects are not allowed in any GBOB events.

Any band overrunning their allotted playing time may be faded out and/or deducted points.

The playing order of the bands will be determined by a draw.

Additional rules for local qualifying competitions

Judging
There will be a panel of judges at Local Qualifying Competitions but in addition, members of audience can use their ticket or voting slip to vote for their favourite band/bands on the night by means of a special ballot box.

When the votes have been counted, the final results will represent 50% the view of the audience and 50% the view of the panel of judges. If there is a tie for first place or any other place the judges choice will be given precedence.

Soundcheck
There will be no sound check in Local Qualifying Competitions or combined one-off Local Qualifying Heats/National Finals. Only the band due first on stage will be given a brief soundcheck to check the equipment.

Onstage Times
Any band that misses their allotted onstage time is liable to be disqualified.

Additional rules for national finals and the world final

Judging
To avoid giving any local band involved an unfair advantage there will be no audience voting in National Finals or the World Final and the results will be determined entirely by the panel of judges. However, in the case of a combined one-off Qualifying Heat/National Final, audience voting will be taken into account. In all cases the decision of the judges is final.

Soundcheck
All bands taking part in a National Final will, if possible, be given a 10-minute soundcheck.

There will be special soundcheck arrangements for the World Final.

Playing order
The playing order will be determined by a draw prior to the concert. Soundchecks will be allotted in reverse order to the running order. Which means the band last on stage does the first soundcheck and the band first on stage does the last soundcheck. Approximate times for soundchecks and onstage times will be given to each band.

If any band misses their allotted soundcheck or onstage slot in a National Final or a World Final the organisers will make all efforts to fit them in elsewhere. However, if this is not possible the band is liable to be disqualified from the competition.

World finalists travel and accommodation
The travel costs of getting a National Final winning band (band members only) to the World Final will be covered by GBOB and/or its representatives. Any excess baggage charges incurred will be the responsibility of the band.

Accommodation during the World Final and catering on the day of the World Final will be covered by GBOB International (band members only).