They’re ready to rock. In fact, they’re always ready to rock. There’s just one problem: It’s not always easy for young bands to find a place to perform.

But next weekend, a concert has been organized for six music groups to show their stuff. Fleetwood Rockfest takes place next weekend at Fleetwood Community Centre and will feature performers Fall With Them, Awakener (Tom Vander Kam), Happy Go Lucky, Twisted, Osmium 76 and Disposable Hero.

Sponsored by the City of Surrey and Tom Lee Music, the event is a welcome opportunity for the young up-and-coming musicians.

William Evans, the drummer for heavy metal group Disposable Hero, says because they’re not old enough to play in bars and pubs, options are limited.

“We find that with venues in Surrey, the only place youth bands can play is recreation centres,” says the 15-year-old. “It’s okay, but they (the city) put shows on only about three times a year.”

Indeed, the City of Surrey hosts a couple events where young bands and individuals are encouraged perform, including Youthfest, which takes place in the fall and features a variety of kid- and teen-oriented activities and performances, and City Jam, which happens in the spring and spotlights more than two dozen young musicians in competition.

Of course, there are myriad smaller community festivals and charitable events that musicians could potentially play. But even they can pose challenges for hard rockers like Disposable Hero.

“Often, they’re looking for a specific type of music,” says Evans, noting the heavy metal sound and sometimes dark lyrics don’t necessarily fit the bill for organizers of those types of events.

Other concert opportunities require proof the bands are stage-worthy, making the whole situation a bit of a catch-22, says Evans.

“The main problem is with youth bands, they need exposure to get into other shows. You have to have stage experience and quite a bit of a reputation.”

The Fleetwood concert isn’t all metal, but will feature a diverse mix of sounds, including acoustic, some indie groups and straight-up rock. The evening is geared for audiences aged 13 to early 20s.

Fleetwood Rockfest ’09 takes place July 25, 6:30-10 p.m. at 13996 84 Ave. Tickets are $5 in advance or $7 at the door. For more information, call 604-501-5036.

sreynolds@surreyleader.com