THE region's X Factor contestants, Journey South, have raised the bar for the competition after they sang without backing tapes on Saturday's show.

Brothers Carl and Andy Pemberton, from Middlesbrough, were voted through to the final eight artists, and on to next week's show, after they sang Roberta Flack's The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

The judges were impressed with the stripped-down acoustic version, which featured Carl playing live guitar.

The band's mentor, Simon Cowell, said: "It was a risk and I would rather somebody left the competition by taking a risk than playing it safe. I know it means a lot to you, particularly you Andy, because it takes you back to where you started from, singing in small clubs.

"If nothing else you have proved to the audience here and the audience at home that you are just really, really, good singers."

Fellow judge Sharon Osbourne said: "I like risk takers and you guys took a huge risk tonight, with no backing tracks and just yourselves.

"You are very brave and you did really well with a song that is extremely hard to deliver."

The third judge, Louis Walsh, said: "You have just proved why Simon picked you to do this competition. To do that, no gimmicks, no backing tracks, no nothing; such a hard thing to do. You have proved to me that you have got real talent."

The pair's proud father, Trevor Pemberton, was at the studio for the performance and agreed with the judges.

He said: "It was a risk, but it was a calculated risk, what they did last night they have been doing for years.

"I suppose something could have gone wrong -a string could have snapped or a battery packed up, but it did not, and it was worth it.

"Anyone who has ever seen them perform live will tell you they can just sit down like that with an acoustic guitar and play for hours."

l Follow the boys' progress each week in The Northern Echo.