Two Vietnamese rock bands, Winfield and Black Infinity, have been listed among 10 finalists for the ASEAN’s first ever contest to find the region’s top band.

The finalists also include artists from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.

The announcement was made at a press conference in Bali on Tuesday by chief judge, renowned Malaysian music producer Roslan Aziz.

"Their song writing, singing and performances were among the criteria that we used for selecting of the top 10 finalists. Plus the winning band also needs to have stage and image presence," he said.

The redAMP – Are You ASEAN's Best Band? Contest is an online band competition, which was open to unsigned bands from Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Cambodia , Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Co-hosted by AirAsiaRedTix .com – a new entertainment events online ticketing site, and MTV (Music Television channel), the competition attracted a significant number of bands in the region.

Pop, rock and metal, to jazz, classical and even traditional or indigenous folk instrument bands were encouraged to participate. Bands were able to enter with songs either in English or any of their local languages.

"We received more than 2,500 submissions, which started on May 24 and closed on June 18. These encouraging numbers are making us consider whether to turn the event into an annual competition," said Rafizah Amran, a member of the competition's organisation panel.

The public can also cast a vote for their favourites though online voting which was launched on June 23. People can vote for their favourite band via SMS, Facebook and at AirASiaRedTix.com/redAMP.

A leader board on AirASiaRedTix.com/redAMP will show live updates of the percentage of votes each band has garnered. However, to keep the final result a mystery, the leader board will be turned off three days before voting ends on July 7.

The top three bands will be announced on July 9. They will win free trip to Kuala Lumpur to perform at an exclusive redAMP live concert hosted on July 16 by AirAsiaRedTix.com.

The finalists will be mentored by chief judge Roslan in the lead-up to the final concert. The bands will receive guidance and fine-tuning in terms of vocals, performances and repertoire.

The winner of redAMP 2010 ASEAN's Best Band, will be announced after the concert.

The winning band will get the top prize of a 50,000 Ringgit (US$15,500), a recording and distribution deal to kick start their music career, and 10,000 Ringgit ($3,000) in AirAsia e-gift vouchers. In addition, they will also be given the chance to perform at an international concert in August.

Tickets for the redAMP final concert can be booked via AirASiaRedTix.com.

Source:tuoitrenews