After a truly competitive year in England, six regional bands step up to the challenge at the well respected ‘Asylum venue’ in Birmingham and what a night! All of the bands that played where to an extremely high standard and the panel of judges found themselves in a heated debate after seeing them all perform for the one position of GBOB England champions.

Amongst the judges favourites and coming a close second was the trio Mad Dog. They began the night with an awesome spectacle that simply can not be described just using words. This is one act that you simply have to see yourself. You can only attempt to describe them as a rustic taste of blues rock with a twist of bourbon and cigars! Coming in third place was 'Lounge Fly'. Their catchy riffs and solid musicianship captured the attention of the room and really got the crowd going!

But there could only be one winner and when Cousin Avi took to the stage there was a truly electric vibe. The front man (Francisco Iannuzzi) engaged the crowd for his whole set and by the end of the night, after the winner was announced, the crowd was calling for more. The Band too were unbelievably tight, they really packed a punch!

It was a night to remember for all, but if you missed it, don’t worry! You can catch Cousin Avi and all of the other national winners from all over the world at the Scala on the 31st of January for the GBOB challenge International final.

This new half-hour documentary entitled 'Lady Samurai' is a true story of Fay's rise in the martial arts world. It is a journey of determination as Fay flies to Japan to take the grade of 7th Dan - a rare and unprecedented achievement for a western woman. Through Fay's eyes we see the beauty of traditional costumes, colourful gardens, landscapes and spiritual shrines and the never ending task of cleaning the dojo floor!

www.ladysamuraifilm.com