Rockers and wannabes unite, as Red Octane and Download Festival 2007 organizers set up a gig at Donnington Park for all those Guitar Hero fans.

From June 8-10, when the clock strikes 10 p.m., rockers get a chance to reach rock stardom by playing mad riffs in front of about 3,000 people. Pick a song out of 40 available from the Xbox 360's Guitar Hero II and let those strings loose.

The top crowd favorites will win a Epiphone Les Paul guitar, so time to brush up those skills.

You must hurry if you're interested though - slots are limited, and even those with a ticket for the Download Festival won't be able squeeze in if they don't reserve space early. Not to mention that competition will probably be tight, with all the people hungry for that fancy guitar.

 

Electronic Arts' 2nd Burnout Bandslam has just been concluded, with over 5,000 bands from the U.S. and 2,100 bands from other locations participating. Two and a half million MySpace users took part in the initial judging with the final selection conducted by an expert panel. The two grand prize winners, "Never Heard Of It" (U.S.) and "Showing Off To Thieves" (UK, Europe), walked away victorious.

Winners of the contest will receive a demo recording deal with Virgin Records and EA. They also get a chance to have their song included in a future Burnout videogame. One Runner-Up band from the U.S. and from each of the participating countries across Europe will receive one Epiphone Les Paul Custom Guitar.

European Winner – Showing Off To Thieves
They clinched the top spot with their debut single "Everyone has their secrets". Driven by powerful vocals, incisive lyrics and crushing rhythms, their distinctly British sound has captured the attention of the people from MySpace.

U.S. Winner – Never Heard Of It (NHOI)
This independent band is considered on of the hardest working bands on tour. As of 2001, they have self-booked and financed 11 U.S. tours and even expanded their schedule to Europe and Japan. They have been asked to play The Warped Tour two years in a row. They have also started their own label called Unmotivated Records, put out a full length CD and got a nationwide distribution deal because of their extensive touring and fantastic tracks.

The full list of Runner-Ups:

• UK- Inuendo
• U.S. – The Sun Also Rises
• Denmark- Zenith
• Sweden- Anagoes
• Norway- Jeroan Drive
• Ireland- Boss Volenti
• Germany- More Than Crossed
• Spain- Avenue and Silhouettes
• Russia – Apshell
• Italy – Let Me In
• France - Kiemsa
• Holland – Note to Amy

The next Burnout is currently being developed for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 and you can expect a ripping soundtrack for the game. Another thing you might want to watch out for is Burnout Dominator for the PSP which will be out this April 27.

If you've got some musical talent and have been dreaming to make it big as a geek god/rockstar with your own geek palace and a virtual harem, Electronic Art's Burnout Bandslam is just the right thing for you.

Burnout Bandslam is a collaborative search by EA, MySpace, Virgin Records and Epiphone across United States and Europe for a hot new band whose track will be used for future Burnout videogames. Candidates will get a chance to showcase their best tracks in front of a global audience of 80 million MySpace users (they'll be later on asked to vote for their favorite track online).

Runners-up in the United States and Europe will win a top-of-the-line Epiphone Les Paul Custom Guitar and will receive a Virgin Records demo recording contract. The best prize here though is the chance to have their songs included in a future Burnout video game. The geek palace and virtual harem must come from other sources, though.

"Many of the biggest bands around the world have been first discovered through EA videogames, and now we are expanding the opportunity to unsigned bands through this year's Burnout Bandslam," says Steve Schnur, worldwide executive of music and marketing for EA, adding that "the Burnout videogame series is all about attitude and rebellion."

For those who want to view the Contest Official Rules, just check the read link below. No purchase is necessary, although eligibility restrictions apply. What are you waiting for, rock on dude!