Four bands played and sang their hearts out in the first heat of Southern FM's Battle of the Bands Contest.

The winner of the first round of the contest, which gives unknown groups a chance at musical stardom, was The Wonderfuls.

They wowed the judges at a packed Hanrahans Bar in Brighton Marina.

The band is now in with a chance of performing in front of thousands at the Party in the Park in Preston Park, Brighton, on July 17.

The Wonderfuls, a gutsy four-piece band from Brighton, won over the judges with their original songs and harmonies.

It was felt they were the most composite band on Wednesday night.

They narrowly beat Sliver Maker, who were fronted by the talented singer Annelise Van de Velde, the only woman in the competition.

The Wonderfuls, made up of Tom, Sam and two Jasons, were the first band to set the bar rocking and from their opening number proved they were going to be a hard act to follow.

They had a refreshing sound, blending a wealth of influence from The Doors, Beck and The Beach Boys.

Next came Alice's Garden with their melodic rock songs followed by Tiny Giant, who won the award for being the loudest on the night. Tiny Giant come from Brighton and comprise of Chris, Charlie, John, Steve and Jamie.

They have been around for two years and play a mixture of Alternative Rock and Indie music with a melodic edge.

Silver Maker have also gigged around Brighton. They are a riff-based rock band, who apart from Annelise, feature Ben Simon, Nic and Damien.

They have already done one high profile concert, playing the Isle of Wight Motor Cross Grand Prix.

The Southern FM Battle of the Bands contest, which will be featured on the Breakfast Show, presented each weekday morning by Danny Pike and Nicky Keig-Shevlin, has captured the imagination of the music scene across the South of England.

Hundreds of demo CDs were sent to the Portslade-based radio station based from hopefuls wanting to take part and possibly win the opportunity of being on the same bill as top acts such as Daniel Bedingfield.

There will be four heats in total to find an overall winner of the Battle of the Bands.

Each heat winner will go forward to a grand final at the Karma Bar, Brighton Marina on July 13.

The next heat takes place on Wednesday at 7pm at West Quay, Brighton Marina.