New music venture for cathedral city.

The region’s hottest upcoming music talent has descended on Lichfield this week to go head to the head in the city’s first ever Acoustic Session Challenge.

The Bowling Green Inn will welcome 16 handpicked artists who will be showcasing their talents in front of a live audience for the chance to win £500. The week-long competition sees four acoustic acts perform each night between 9pm-11pm, culminating in a live final on Saturday December 6th when a winner will be crowned.

And in true X-Factor style, it will be visitors to The Bowling Green who will decide the fate of the artists with a live vote taking place each night to determine which act gets a place in the much coveted final.

Already the likes of Beth Ayres, Sophia Vassal, Aaron Chazze Chawro and Ash Wall have performed with Sophia and her band walking away heat winners. They will be followed by Charlotte Upson, Andrew Cache, Brains for Breakfast and Regale tonight. Ingrid Schwartz, Ben Stancombe, Jordan Murray-Phillips and Klasside perform tomorrow, whilst Chloe & Charlie, Mike Moloney, Alex Voss and Mr George’s Famous Last Words complete the line up on Friday night.

This isn’t the first time The Bowling Green in Lichfield has hosted such an event. The venue is the regular home of Lichfield Rocks Festival which was headlined by X-Factor favourite Lucy Spraggan headlining earlier this year.

Kyle Perry, organiser of The Acoustic Sessions and Lichfield Rocks, has played the venue several times with his band Stubblemelt, and recently released new album Gypaetus Barbatus to media acclaim. He said the Acoustic Sessions gives The Bowling Green a great chance to showcase some of the Midlands’ hottest music talent indoors in intimate surroundings.

“We had a great first night last night and saw some really great acoustic acts,” he said. “The Acoustic Sessions is a unique event for Lichfield and brings some of the biggest rising stars in the Midlands music scene to The Bowling Green, a venue that has a long tradition of hosting live music. It’s a free event and puts the audience completely in control of the lineup for the final with the winner walking away with £500.

“It’s a great bit of fun but more importantly, like Lichfield Rocks, this could become a regular fixture in the Midlands’ music calendar.”