Dardanelles have been named among a shortlist of six local bands to perform as part of the first ever JD Set national tour.

The JD Set is the new live music project for the folks behind Jack Daniels and the Australian independent music awards, The Jack Awards.

The new event will be held four times throughout 2008, giving a total of 12 up-and-coming local acts the chance to tour Australia before the year is out.

Joining the Melbourne band on the first shortlist is Central Coast band Angelas Dish, Melbourne outfit the Braindead Lovers, The Fumes, Adelaide’s The Hot Lies and Mink.

In the lead up to each of the four rounds of touring, a preliminary pool of acts will battle it out to win a place on the bill of The JD Set national tour with fans across Australia voting for which artist they want to see live on stage.

The prize package for each of the three acts includes an hour-long national radio show on Australian radio network, Nova, featuring exclusive track, gig and interview content. Plus each touring act also gets a multi-track recording of one of their live tour performances, including full copyright ownership, as well as a personal mentoring session from a legendary artist.

The winner of The JD Set Award 2008 will be announced during a live broadcast on Nova, which will include a performance of one of the winning band’s songs.

Voting is now available through thejdset.com.au.

Tags | Dardanelles, JD Set