Head banging rock enthusiasts charged up the chilly evening with wild screams and foot stomping as young musicians belted out some high-voltage music under a starry sky near the Delhi University.

Eight college bands sang, shrieked, danced and rocked a capacity crowd of young students Saturday evening in the New Delhi leg of the Hero Honda Pepsi Campus Rock Idols, the largest inter-college rock competition in the country.

Though most of the bands were on stage for the first time at a major competition, there was no lack of support from the euphoric crowd. Spirits soared high and young boys and girls in fashionable attire danced to the pulsating beats and throbbing music.

"The atmosphere was electrifying. It was a great experience performing on stage at a big competition," said Clarence Gonsalves, a Delhi University student and the member of the winning band, Joint Family.

After New Delhi, the competition will move to Indore, Hyderabad, Manipal, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Shillong, Kolkata and Pune. The winning band will be chosen from among the finalists in each city and will be named the "Campus Rock Idol 2005".

The aim of the event is to pick out the best talent and to provide them the required exposure, the organisers said.

"There are a lot of talented youngsters who need to be identified and given adequate exposure. This competition aims at providing a platform for them," said Venkat Vardhan, managing director of DNA Networks, which organised the event.

"Our aim is not to give them contracts but to help them sharpen their skills through opportunities for big live performances."

Last year's rock idol Prestorika has already carved a niche in the country's rock scene and they are all set to share stage with popular Finish band Rasmus at a concert in Mumbai Dec 2, said Vardhan.