ONE thing teenagers in country towns miss is a music scene, whether it's rock night clubs, heavy-metal dens or jazz bars.

It's a fact Jackson Phelan is painfully aware of.

"I pretty much started playing the guitar because there's nothing to do in Rainbow," says Jackson.

Damian Ball, from Carlsruhe, agrees.

"It's very difficult in the country, actually. One of the hardest things has been distances," he says.

This Sunday, the lads will make up for lost time when they and their bands perform at the Push Start battle of the bands grand final in Melbourne.

Started in 1988, the state-wide non-profit organisation the Push was created to provide drug and alcohol-free exposure to the music industry for teens.

In this year's contest, 276 bands from around Victoria have competed, with nine finalists to do battle in the grand final for a recording deal.

Jackson, who finished VCE last year, will compete for the second year with his band, the Barking Sparrows, whose members come from around Horsham.

He describes their style as based in folk, but now more influenced by such bands as the Smashing Pumpkins and Silversun Pickups.

He says the competition will open doors not available in the Mallee.

"It's been frustrating and I guess I have missed out. Last year, the judges' comments were that in the right scene with the right gigs, we could have done more," says the 17-year-old guitarist.

"It (the competition) will give us a chance to reach a different audience. It can set you up in the music industry."

Damian Ball will be performing with his heavy-metal band Ayera, whose members mainly met at school in Kyneton and who come from Broadford, Gisborne and Romsey.

"We don't live very close together and until we had our (car) licences it was difficult to meet up to practise," says the 20-year-old vocalist and songwriter.

"The competition will give us more exposure than a gig and to a younger crowd, who we want to target, because they are passionate and follow bands from the start."

And they hope it will further their careers.

"As hard as it is to forge a career in the music industry, we all sat down and said if we aren't going to university or having jobs, we'll give a genuine crack at becoming a band," says Damian.

"We're young and we're not going to get another chance down the road."

    CHECKLIST
  • Push Start grand final, March 7, Abbotsford Convent, St Heliers St, Abbotsford, details www.thepush.com.au or ph: (03) 9380 1277.