Rockingham Battle of the Bands kicks off Friday

Rockingham Hotel is set to rock this weekend as this year's Battle of the Bands competition begins in earnest.

Taking the stage on Friday night are three very different acts, with each hoping they can emerge victorious and claim thousands of dollars in prizes.

Miles of Limes frontman Aaron Thomas said audiences could expect a bit of everything from the relatively new three-piece.

Thomas said the enthusiasm would be clear to see from the progressive rock outfit and hoped crowds would rally behind them as they tried a bit of improvisation.

He said the band's collective enthusiasm for the music they played would be evident in their performance.

"We've been fine tuning our sound since our last gig at the Rocky - our passion will be obvious to anyone who sees us perform," Thomas said.

"We like to literally improvise on stage, so what we do is very organic and that definitely comes across."

Meanwhile, multinational metal act Social Madness hopes to knock the socks off judges with their range of musical influences and cultural backgrounds.

Drummer Jim Clark said Iranian frontman Farhang was committed to delivering a fresh sound, particularly because he had experienced persecution in his home country for his love of the genre.

Clark said the three-piece, which also includes bassist Steve Press, had met in the middle, drawing inspiration from Metallica, Pantera and Foo Fighters.

"Social Madness delivers a bit of everything - we're not a thrashy metal band and I actually come from a background in jazz, but somehow it really works," Clark said.

"We're confident about the competition and are looking forward to getting on stage."

Last but not least, solo artist Lachy Daniels hopes to impress judges with his selection of guitar-driven original acoustic tunes.

Daniels said he drew inspiration from his life experiences over his 41 years.

A lifelong musician, Daniels took part in the competition last year as part of Garden Path, but this year opted to go it alone.

More bands are expected to join the line-up - doors open at 7pm.