BRITISH electropop star Frankmusik have kicked off a nationwide search for the UK’s best unsigned musical talent.

The Kit Kat Battle of the Bands will hit Newcastle University Student Union on Tuesday as part of a tour of student unions across the UK to unearth the country’s next big thing.

Frankmusik, aka Vincent Frank, will lead the hunt for the music industry’s raw new talent and is calling for all student bands to sign up to take part in the Battle of the Bands, sponsored by Kit Kat, by registering at battleofthebands@frankpr.it

Entrants stand the chance of winning £3,000, a rehearsal masterclass with Frankmusik together with a chance for him to remix one of the winning act’s songs and have a link posted on his Myspace, together with some online promotion.

Vincent Frank comments: “What’s brilliant about this talent search is that we’re calling for all guitar bands, groups or solo artists to take part. It doesn’t matter whether you like indie music, electropop or pure rock – talent is talent and we’re going to find the next big thing.”

Fresh from Fresher’s Fayres, unsigned student acts will be invited to perform live on stage at six regional heats where they’ll battle it out in front of their student peers and fight for votes. Each heat will crown a winner before the six finalists are brought to London for the grand final, where Frank will be among the judging panel.

Over the last few years, Frankmusik has experienced a rapid rise to fame with his debut album, Complete Me earning Top 20 chart success.

■ Frankmusik plays The Other Rooms, Newcastle, on Monday