Battle of the bands to support Paolo Nutini

BANDS in the Capital are being given the chance to join Paolo Nutini on stage this Hogmanay.

Paolo Nutini will top the bill at Edinburgh's Hogmanay party.

A competition, named ‘Hog the Stage’, is asking upcoming musicians to submit new music, and the top five will be hand-picked by Nutini to be entered into an online public vote.

One of the winners of the contest, launched by Forth 1 and The List, will open the Night Afore Concert on December 30, and the other will open Concert in the Gardens on Hogmanay.

The selected bands will play to audiences of over 19,000 people.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s festivals and events champion, said: “With six weeks to go, the demand to celebrate Hogmanay in the Scottish Capital has been phenomenal.

“It is clear the world wants to celebrate the start of 2017 here in Edinburgh and what a year it will be for us as we welcome in the 70th anniversary of Edinburgh, the Festival City.”

Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit and alt-rock legends The Lightning Seeds will also be performing at the concerts.