South Coast Idol finalists prepare for big night

Competitors might not have to face the fearsome Simon Cowell onstage. But hearts are aflutter today as aspiring singers perfect every last note of the songs that could win them a recording contract and international fame.

Live and Unsigned South Coast Idol began in Sussex with open auditions in January at the Thistle Hotel. They were whittled down to 30 finalists after two sets of semi finals at Concorde 2 in Marine Parade, Brighton.

The winners will be chosen through a combination of votes from the judges and the audience at the talent show in Concorde 2 tomorrow night, how many tickets they sold to friends, family and fans and how many times they have made it into the media.

Some have managed to keep their profile high through the heats. Beth Thomas, a 25-year-old mum-of-two from Worthing, has appeared on Juice FM, which has supported the competition, and has been writing a blog about her progress on MySpace.

Beth works in the daytime as a child minder. But at night she gigs around her home town and dreams of turning her lifelong love of music into a career.

Beth will perform one of her own songs called On My Knees. She claims to sound like a combination of Joni Mitchell, KT Tunstall, Eva Cassidy and Norah Jones.

She is friends with the only band in the competition, Brothers 3. Whatever happens, Beth said she has enjoyed every stage of the contest.

She said: "It has been nice to make friends with other musicians and see how far I can go."

Beth, who has two sons aged four and one, auditioned for X-Factor in 2004. But on the day of the audition, a week before she was married, she found out she was pregnant with her second son. By the time she turned up to sing she had been sick on the train.

Beth was a finalist in the Search for a Star in King's Lynn, Norfolk.

She is a member of Lyndhurst Christian Fellowship and performed at church on Easter Sunday.

Beth has been teaching herself to play guitar since the age of 14 since seeing her dad Matthew Barrow play in church.

She said: "I have performed quite a bit in Worthing. At 18 I started playing in local bands. I just want to play my music and enjoy it." See myspace.com/beththomasmusic Italian pop group Brothers 3, also from Worthing, will perform The Beatles' With a Little Help From My Friends.

The Arbisi siblings entered as soloists but judges asked them to perform together. Although a musical family, Daniele, 23, Davide, 20, and Michael, 17, have never before been a triple act.

Davide said: "We have always performed a lot individually and in different groups, but never as three brothers doing it together. All of us have quite different tastes."

Daniele, who studied musical theatre at London Studio Centre, is a dance and English teacher. Davide is studying at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music and Michael wants to go into the RAF.

For their audition, they sang My Girl and Fill My Little World by The Feeling.

Their father Enzio is Sicilian and came to the UK with his parents at the age of five. Davide said: "We are quite an Italian family. Sometimes when there are a lot of us it does look like a mob. We try to go to Sicily quite a lot." The brothers, who say they sound like the British Pop Rat Pack, have their own cartoon characters at their MySpace site. See myspace.com/brothers3arbisi Many finalists are doing well in carving out their careers. Zara Atanes-Melo, from Hove, was spotted by a Pakistani singer called Najam Sheraz when she performed at the semi final. Now the 22-year-old is hoping to tour with him in the United States.

Zara, who studied business and law at Kingston University, said: "I always wanted to go into music. I'd love to be in the charts, just to sing and make a living out of it."

Her influences are R&B and pop. She will sing Elton John's Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word. See myspace/zaramelo Steve Twinley, 23, from Bognor, is one third of a band called Icontact. Steve impressed judges at the semi-final with his own song Elephant's Back, inspired by his time teaching English in Uganda. He will sing another of his own tracks, Mexico.

The Oxford University graduate from Bognor, who has a first class degree in psychology, makes a living working at a recruitment consultancy. He said: "I'm hoping this will be a good platform to get the band's name out there. We have been together for about seven years.

"We'll see what happens. The quality of people is very high. There are a lot of very strong singers."

In the under-17s section, Chloe Powell, 15, from Ringmer, is a classically trained vocalist who dreams of the big time.

Mum Stephanie said: "Ever since she was about three she has been very good at singing. She does dance and drama as well but her real strength is singing. She really enjoys performing." Chloe will sing Summertime.

Sophie Graffin, 13, from Woodingdean, has been practising for up to an hour and a half every night.

She will sing Because of You by Kelly Clarkson. At previous South Coast Idol auditions she mastered the challenging Can't Fight the Moonlight by Leanne Rhymes and Because You Love Me by Celine Dion.

She said: "I've been singing ever since I can remember. I just like entertaining people"

Waiting around to be called for her turn to sing at the semi final was nerve-wracking, Sophie said, but performing was fine. "Once you start singing, everyone cheers."

Sophie, who attends Splitz Stage School at Woodingdean Community Centre, has starred in school plays and was Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

Sally Davidson, 23, a pop and rock singer from Heathfield, works at BT. She said: "I got out of singing for a while and my best friend entered me. If I won, I'd give up my job."

At 30, self-proclaimed "King of Swing" Dean Ager is one of the older contestants. But the former boxer, who does an impressive impression of Chris Eubank, believes that could go in his favour.

Dean, from Southwick, has spent thousands of pounds putting together his own album with a complete big band 32-piece orchestra.

He said: "The music I do is kind of old fashioned. When we think of the icons of that era, I sing in the style of Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra. We think of those in their forties, so I have still yet to reach my peak."

Dean worked at Ramada Jarvis hotel in Kings Road, Brighton, when Eubank held his wedding party there. Boxing promoter Barry Hearn, Eubank's manager, paid Dean a fiver to do his impression in front of the group. Everyone else fell about laughing, but the groom seemed less than impressed.

Today Dean was due to go to try out at the X-Factor auditions in London, armed with a letter from Simon Cowell's mum Julie, who lives in Rottingdean and wrote back after he sent her a copy of his album. Tonight he will perform his song King of Swing. See deanager.com Burlesque performer Jess Sharp, 26, from Hove, will sing Don't Speak by No Doubt, after getting through the semi final with her rendition of Good Luck by Basement Jaxx.

She said: "I still do get nervous. I am excited and looking forward to it because there is quite a buzz backstage. Everyone's as nervous as each other. We all rally each other and keep each other going."

Jess is part of a regular burlesque night with music and magicians at Brighton's Marlborough Theatre in Princes Street. She will next appear as her character Gretchen Von Bitchen on May 3, 4 and 5. See myspace/boutiquetheatre The Grand Final takes place at Portsmouth Guildhall on May 26. The top prize is a £20,000 recording contract. Visit southcoastidol.co.uk The full list of finalists is as follows.

Under 17s Hayley Boni, Middlesex Carys Coleman, East Sussex Nia Coleman, East Sussex Isobel Darcy, Horsham Natel David, Luton Kaylie Deon, Kent Rebecca Fallowfield, Worthing Sophie Graffin, Woodingdean Gabrella Parrish, East Sussex Chloe Powell, Lewes Kieron Riley, Wigan Francesca Sinden, Kent Alexis Twine, Littlehampton Rachael Whiting, Crowborough 17 and over Dean Ager, Southwick Daniele, Davide and Michael Arbisi, Worthing Zara Atanes-Melo, Hove Matt Brown, Brighton Sally Davidson, Heathfield Marvin Fray, Portsmouth Ray Gabbard, West Sussex Ruby Jones, Brighton Emily Manthorpe, Brighton Jamsheed Master, Hove Chenelle Mulvaney, West Sussex Nicki Naden, Liverpool Jess Sharp, Hove Kate Simpson, Brighton Beth Thomas, Worthing Steve Twinley, Bognor