The competition is open to all music lovers who fall into the following categories: solo artist, band, under 19 solo artist, under 19 band, and best small live music venue.
Mark said: “Rock the House is a great opportunity for aspiring artists of any age looking to find a way into the industry. I am excited to listen to the tracks that the people of Rugby can come up with, and hope to receive as many submissions as possible.”
Brian May, Queen guitarist and songwriter said: “It is a great honour to back Rock the House. The UK is a hotbed of musical talent from all genres, and if the British music industry is going to grow and thrive then musicians need to be able to make a living from selling their product.”
Mark will nominate his favourite from each category, after which a judging panel made of international music industry experts will chose the finalists. The finalists will compete in a live battle of the bands, and the winner of each category will then perform live on the balcony of the House of Commons on the evening of the 26th of June 2013.
Rock the House was founded by Mike Weatherley MP to raise awareness of intellectual property theft and live music issues in Parliament. In 2011, the competition was part of a campaign which successfully persuaded the Government that venues with a capacity of 200 people will no longer need a license for live music.