Toploader support competition down to final three.

Over 50 of the region's musicians entered Toploader's competition to find a support act for their Eastbourne Bandstand show next month, and the band have whittled the hopefuls down to a Top Three.

Competition entries came from bands that boast airtime on BBC6 Music, finalists of Live & Unsigned Portsmouth and the Surface Festivals Top 10 UK Unsigned Bands, plus a singer who has opened shows for Ronan Keating and Michael Bolton.

However, East's team of investigative journalists, music industry sources and general dirt-diggers have already had a peek inside Toploader's golden envelope to discover the names of the final three. They include former East cover stars, bands from this year's Eastbourne Festival Live, and bands with their own organised MySpace stalker gangs!

It will now be up to the public to decide the winning act for Toploader's charity gig on August 29, in a poll on the Sovereign Radio 107.5 website. An official announcement of the three finalists should be made imminently, before East get tipsy at Pev Fest this weekend and spill the beans.

Tickets for Toploader's Bandstand show are available from www.eastbournebandstand.co.uk, on 01323 410611, or at the Tourist Information Centre, priced £15. For more information, see visiteastbourne.com

Look out for an exclusive new interview with the band's Joe Washbourn and Dan Hipgrave on the East site next weekend.