A VALLEYS band who only formed last year are gunning for the top prize of a recording contract in a competition to find the UK's best unsigned act.

Blackwood-based Witness to the Reform made it through the audition stage and into the regional finals of Live and Unsigned 2011.

The three-piece consists of drummer Jason Clarke, 39, bassist Dave Griffiths, 39, and Craig Wallace, 34, their lead guitarist and singer.

They will next battle it out in March at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff as the try and reach the national finals, held at London's O2 arena. The winning act gets a recording contract with Future Music worth up to £50,000.

Mr Clarke met Mr Griffiths through his wife and knew Mr Wallace through music for several years before pitching the idea of forming a band when he saw him by chance on a night out in Cardiff last year.

At the regional finals, they have three-and-a-half minutes to perform a mix of their original song Bungle, combined with a cover of the Eurythmic's Sweet Dreams.

Mr Clarke said: "We're really looking forward to the next round, we've only been together a short time - we've got nothing to lose and everything to gain."