any song that will complement the current abilities of each member.
most of the time, bands choose a song without matching it up to their current level of playing individually.
example:
If a band chooses to play a dream theatre song, because the guitarists can pull it off, its fine. But what if the drummer can't? the vocalist can't hit those notes? the bassist can't barely rush through the flurry of notes?
Or a song where the drummer can play the entire song in correct tempo and exact playing but the guitarists can't hardly pull off the solo cleanly?
Choosing a song for a band contest is a matter of finding a song that will complement your bands' best abilities.
Example: in a band where the vocalist is just "regular", a very good shred guitarist, a decent bassist and a good drummer.... a band should choose a song catered to adjust to the vocalists' range.
or in another example, the entire band can rip out a dragonforce song... but sadly the drummer cannot keep up the very fast double bass beat. So choosing that kind of song would be an unwise decision.
analyze the strengths and weaknessess of your band. Capitalize on the strengths and choose the right song.
Gaya nga sa mga American Idol.... lahat sila magaganda ang boses but its their choice of song that will complement their type of voice that makes or breaks the win.
FWIW
pero if you think you guys can do the really technical stuff.... go ahead and show them what you got! hehehehe!
good luck sa Battle of the Bands bro!