TWO Greenock bands are within touching distance of performing at a major Scottish music festival along with the likes of Amy Macdonald and Kaiser Chiefs.

The Medicine Priests and Black Dove have both played their way into the final four of a battle of the bands contest for the chance to take to the stage at Party at the Palace in Linlithgow in August.

Saturday night is the big showdown with the two local acts vying for that coveted festival slot along with Atlas Run, from Glasgow, and Dunfermline’s Moonlight Zoo.

The final takes place at The Bungalow in Paisley from 6.30pm.

Organiser Alice Brown, a student at West College Scotland (WCS) in Greenock, said: “It will be a very tough night — all the bands play to a fantastic standard.

“Black Dove are a young band from Inverclyde that are very impressive for their age and the amount of time they have been together.

“The Medicine Priests have a great energy about them and impress people time and time again.

“Atlas Run have a great indie/Scottish sound, they are releasing their new EP soon, and Moonlight Zoo are a fantastic band from Dunfermline with a great stage presence and a beautiful pop sound.

“This is a night that’s not to be missed.”

The four unsigned acts will be pulling out all the stops to secure the Parry at the Palace slot.

An estimated 10,000 people are expected each day at the fourth annual festival.

The battle of the bands contest is being run in partnership with WCS, The Bungalow and Feel the Groove record shop in Paisley.

Following three months of heats and semi-finals the competition is down to the final four.

The winners will also be invited to perform at Largs Live on Saturday June 24 at McCabe’s Bar.

Greenock DJ McD will take to the decks after the finalists have performed.

Entry is free.