Register now for the band category!

The Montreal Blues Society is now accepting registrations for the Band category for the International Blues Challenge. 

The 39th International Blues Challenge (IBC 2024) will be held January 16th through January 20th, 2024 in the Beale Street Historic District in Memphis. Acts sponsored by blues societies from around the world will vie for top spot at the largest gathering of blues musicians in the world. 

The Montreal Blues Society will be holding the "Quebec to Memphis" contest again this fall to determine which acts will represent the Society and Quebec in the Band category in Memphis. 

Quebec acts have fared well in Memphis in the past, with semi-final appearances by Michael Jerome Browne, Fuel Junkie, Dawn & Paul, and the Justin Saladino Band. The past editions have been particularly fruitful with finalist appearances three years in a row! A second-place finish by the Paul DesLauriers Band in 2016, then a first-place finish for Dawn Tyler Watson and The Ben Racine Band in 2017, Angel Forrest Band on stage with the 8 finalists in 2018 and best guitarist in the solo category for Adam Karch in 2023.

Winning is always nice but even if you don’t bring an award back home, the IBC event week is an experience, perfect for making contacts and connections as it offers seminars, showcases, master classes, film screenings, networking events, book signings, and receptions for blues societies, fans, and professionals.

Here is what you need to know about the "Quebec to Memphis" competition before you make it to Memphis!

• This year’s "Quebec to Memphis" edition will be open for the Band category.
• The IBC defines a band as any group with three or more musicians.
• The competition for the Band category will be held Tuesday, September 26th and Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023, in Montreal, at Bistro à JoJo, 1627 St-Denis. Time slots will be between 17:00 and 21:00. Acts must be available for the local competition date, and winners must be able to travel to the IBC in Memphis, January 16th through January 20th, 2024. If you can’t make these dates, please do not enter the competition.
• The contest is open to all Quebec-based acts. 
• The registration period for the Band category is open from July 1st, 2023 until midnight August 13th, 2023. Requests to enter once the deadline has passed will be denied.
  
• All entrants must have a current social media presence (website, Facebook, etc)
  
• To be considered for the competition, the act must have at least one official album released and the sound and feel of the music must be true to any of blues sub-categories: traditional blues, country blues, soul blues, blues rock and/or contemporary blues.
• Each act will play for 20-25 minutes (to be confirmed). A panel of independent judges will score the performances using the IBC guidelines. These guidelines can be found here or you can download below. We strongly suggest you go over the guidelines in preparation for the contest.

If there are an insufficient number of entries, the Montreal Blues Society reserves the right to modify or cancel the event entirely. If there are more entries than can be accommodated, the Montreal Blues Society will ask a panel of independent judges to determine the pre-selection - registration fees for acts not retained will be refunded.

The applicants understand that they are responsible for paying their own travel, lodging, and other expenses to get to, and while in, Memphis. The Montreal Blues Society will help the winning acts defray a portion of their expenses through the organization of fundraisers to help ease the financial burden. Any amounts that are in excess of the financial assistance provided by the MBS are the sole responsibility of the winning acts.

By entering this event, you agree to abide by the health and safety measures in effect at the time of the event in Memphis.

If you have any questions or require clarification about any of the points outlined above, please email montrealbluessociety@gmail.com or send a text message to 438-499-5523.