A music competition for up-and-coming artists is returning to west Suffolk from next month.

Despite all the recent uncertainty around live music, the established BurySOUND contest will be held in February and March.

The five heats, which all take place at the Hunter Club in Bury St Edmunds, will each feature five competing artists and a guest headliner, while the grand final will once again take place at the Apex in the town.

Seymour Quigley, live music events manager at BurySOUND, said they were "thrilled" to be back.

He said: "The last BurySOUND began in February 2020, but the grand final had to be postponed for 18 months due to lockdowns.

"There were almost no gigging opportunities during that time, so my big fear was that musicians would tire of waiting, become despondent and stop making music - which is what's always happened in the past when music venues have closed and opportunities have diminished.

"Amazingly, the opposite seems to have happened: artists have used the time to focus on writing songs and finding out what kind of music they actually wanted to make, and lots of new bands seem to have formed, perhaps as a reaction to the frustration of lockdown."

He said BurySOUND was about offering new artists a chance to play to an appreciative, enthusiastic audience, and that sense of being supported and accepted - that your dreams and ambitions matter - has been at the heart of the competition since it began 24 years ago.

The line-up for heat one taking place on Friday, February 4, is: Blue Sunday, Hungry, Name Loading, TonyT, Ward of Iron plus special guest headliner L U.

Taking part in heat two on Friday, February 11, are: Fuze, The Hot One Two, Katie Beaney, Substation, Under The Sun, with special guest headliners Reno & Rome.

Heat three on Friday, February 18, features: Bluefeel, Call to the Faithful, Collars, Final Transmission, The '07s and special guest headliners Men of Munga.

Heat four on Friday, February 25, includes: Brayden Jay, Jackism, James White & The Wild Fire, Outbound, Queen Dogs and special guest headliners Far From Refuge.

And taking part in heat five on Friday, March 4, is: Anorak, Brazen Bull, The Routine, Supracelestials, Three Years Younger, with special guest headliners Pink Lemonade (winners of the BurySOUND 2020 Rising Star Award).

The grand final is taking place at the Apex on March 18, featuring the winners of heats one to five plus special guest headliners Fleas (overall winners of BurySOUND 2020).

Tickets for each event are £5 from the Apex box office, by calling 01284 758000 or online here.

All ages are welcome (under-14s with a parent or carer) and doors for each event open at 6pm.

For more information visit the BurySOUND website.