TWO North-East pop hopefuls will get the chance to follow in the footsteps of Will Young or Gareth Gates by performing in front of more than 25,000 people alongside some of the biggest names in pop music.

Making It, run by 96.6TFM, Metro Radio and Tyne Tees Television, will give the winners the chance to sing at either Feel the Noise Live with NatWest's Access2Music 2002 concerts in Stockton on July 28 or Newcastle on July 21 along with chartoppers Sugababes, Liberty X and Lighthouse Family.

Applications are available from Tyne Tees Television reception in Newcastle or Billingham, TFM in Stockton or Metro Radio in Newcastle.

Entries must be sent in the from of a CD, DAT, minidisc or VHS video to Making It, PO Box 975, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE99 1WX.

A judging panel including 96.6TFM breakfast show host Gregg Upwards, Metro Radio breakfast show host, Brian Moore and Judie McCourt from Tyne Tees Television will select the best from the demos. They will then be invited to an audition in front of the panel.

From the auditions four finalists will be selected. Each finalist will perform on Tyne Tees' evening show, North East Tonight with Mike Neville, between Monday to Thursday, July 8 to 11.

On Friday, July 12, competition phone lines will open to give viewers and listeners a chance to vote for their favourite.

The phone lines will close on Sunday, July 14, and the two winners will be announced on North East Tonight on Tuesday, July 16.