THE music scene in Melbourne's west has a very bright future if performances at The Very West showcase evening were anything to go by.

The St Jerome's Laneway Festival and Footscray Community Arts Centre invited six shortlisted bands to play at the December 14 gig. Twenty-seven unsigned groups had applied.

A panel of music industry representatives judged the performance of The White Goods as the best.

The four-piece band will be flown to Sydney next month to play at

that city's St Jerome's Laneway Festival.

Singer Brendan Lawley said he and fellow members Tom Paterson, Joe Ciantar and Rob Ely were thrilled at the thought of travelling to Sydney for the first time.

"It's definitely the best thing that's ever happened to us," he said. "Obviously it'll mean more exposure, but most of all it's going to be a really fun time for us."

The other performances were:

■Charismatic vocalist Xani Kolac electrified proceedings with her violin and quintet Yohosie. The rock group, wearing all red, had a slight vampish feel.

■The Merchants excited with their garage, rock and post-punk songs.

■Humidity Entertainment was the surprise package of the night. This fun-loving, lyrical hip-hop group took pleasure in trying to create an unserious mood in the room.

■The Nubian Knights brought a hip-hop flavour that reflected their East African roots.

■The frontman of TheMOXIE mesmerised with his arresting vocals.

Lawley said the Yarraville-based The White Goods

was keen to create a permanent live music scene in the west, starting with a gig of the short-listed bands in Footscray.

The Melbourne Laneway Festival is at the Footscray Arts Centre and surrounding streets on January 30.

Details: visit http://melbourne.lanewayfestival. com.au/