Nanaimo and Vancouver Island bands will square off in the first Battle of the Bands hosted by the Vancouver Island Exhibition. (VIEX)

By Spencer Sterritt

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NANAIMO — Music will remain an integral part of the Vancouver Island Exhibition, even as it shifts to an online platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main stage director Michelle Solloway told NanaimoNewsNOW they’ll host a Battle of the Bands instead of paying for livestreams of the musicians who’d normally play on their stages during the multi-day event.

“We thought instead of blowing a bunch of money on big bands from out of town, why don’t we support out local music scene? Bring all of us together, battle it out and meet each other on the stage next year.”

Bands from Nanaimo and all over Vancouver Island are asked to submit one to three videos of their performances by July 31. The videos will be judged and everyone who makes it to the semi-finals will have their videos added to the VIEX website and voted on.

“I have no idea how it’s going to work out but we’ll roll with it and see how it goes. I think it will be cool to see what’s happening in the Nanaimo and Island music scene.”

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Solloway said she understands bands might not be able to create a perfect sounding video by the July 31 deadline.

“It can be a webcam video. As long as we can hear and judge it, it works. If people are having a hard time getting a video recorded they can contact me and I’ll try to help make it happen.”

The winner of the VIEX Battle of the Bands secures a paid appearance on their stage during the 2021 event.

More information about the Battle of the Bands can be found online.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt