Kim BriscoeTwo Norfolk music acts have booked themselves a place in the national finals of a bands competition.Kim Briscoe

Two Norfolk music acts have booked themselves a place in the national finals of a bands competition.

Dumbfoundus and Crumbs for Comfort will now get the chance to perform at the O2 in London on July 10 in the final of the Live and Unsigned competition.

Dumbfoundus is guiatrist and singer Noel Dashwood, 28, from Colegate, Norwich, and Nathan Hawdon, 27, from Great Yarmouth's Magdalen Estate, who provides vocal harmonies and plays a type of drum called a Djembe.

The pair met while at Lynn Grove High School in Yarmouth, and although they have been playing music together for 10 years they have only been performing as Dumbfoundus for the last year.

Mr Dashwood, who is a care worker for Norfolk County Council, said: 'People say they enjoy our music because it is happy and honest. We don't try to be anyone else on stage - it's just Noel and Nathan.

'This is a good chance for us and hopefully it will give us a leg up into the world of festivals and playing in Europe.

'It's a dream for both of us to travel for free and meet other musicians.'

The regional final for the East and London was held on Saturday in Basildon, Essex.

Also making it through to the Live and Unsigned Festival at the IndigO2 venue at the O2 was Crumbs for Comfort - a seven piece acoustic folk rock band based across Norwich, Ely and Lowestoft.

Its members Alex Brown, Ben Chenery, Robert Vincent, Richard Thompson, Liam Brown, Jamie Scott and Colin Shaw write songs about the beauty and history of the East Anglian coastline and their song Lowestoft Bay, about the decline of the town's fishing industry, impressed the judges.

Live and Unsigned is the largest national music competition for original bands, vocal groups and solo artists.

More than 30,000 acts from across the country have entered over the last three years.

The competition gives acts the chance to perform live in front of some of the country's top producers, label executives, promoters and DJs.

The winner will be offered a recording contract with Future Music, and up to �30,000 investment.

Dumbfoundus are organising a coach down to London for the final and tickets, costing �20, are available through the band's sites on Facebook, Myspace, or at www.dumbfoundus.com, or by calling 07551233243.

Do you have a story for the Evening News? Contact reporter Kim Briscoe on 01603 772419 or email kim.briscoe@archant.co.uk.