The Bedford Athletic Rugby Club Wentworth drive, Putnoe Bedford. Saturday 10th December 2005.
HeKz, Fell Silent, Track Zero, Last Man Standing.
Grand final
After an agonising 9 week absence from any Bedford gigs (having been at uni), I was slightly more than excited to be at the 2005 Battle of the Bands Grand Final - and it seems like only yesterday I was sitting down to write the review for last year's! That said though, a year on and things have changed a bit: new venue, a seemingly much younger crowd, and I'd only seen/heard of one of the bands before the weekend. But one thing stayed the same - the sky-high level of talent in all the bands playing. On with the review...
I was looking forward to seeing more of HeKz - (Heat 7 & 2nd Semi winners), having heard them play a few tracks as a last minute replacement for the no-shows at the previous night's new band final. I wasn't in the slightest bit disappointed - these young guys rocked! Their own-brand of power metal was a showcase for each band member's considerable talent, especially the bassist/singer, whose vocals were particularly strong, and reminiscent of those of Bruce Dickinson. This was obvious during their cover of Iron Maiden's 'Fear of the Dark', which many lesser bands wouldn't have been able to pull off, let alone do it in style. The frontman engaged in lots of friendly banter with the crowd, which he controlled well in getting them to do his bidding and mosh. As for the younger of the 2 guitarists, I can only express delight at his playing of the 'Super Mario' theme as an interlude, though i'd've preferred something from a SEGA game myself...
In reviewing Fell Silent - (Heat 5 & 2nd Semi winners) For a second time, I've really gone and put my foot in it - despite being nothing short of fantastic the last few times I've seen them play, they managed to outdo themselves yet again this time, and I'm struggling to find words to describe this - seriously, just take my last review, times it by about 10, and you'll be there.
Vocals, particularly in the clean(er) sections were improved, and the instruments were played brilliantly as usual, with a much more defined and clear sound overall. Brilliant thumping bass lines and killer drumming could be felt in the pit of my stomach even at the very back of the venue, and the guitar work was both lethally precise and heavier than a ton of bricks. Something I noticed about the guitars this time round which I especially liked was the additional synth-like effects in the cleaner sections, and the use of the 2 guitars alternately to give a stereo effect at times - subtle, but effective, and this will translate well to a record. All band members moved around confidently and energetically, particularly the bassist, who would've head butted the stage had rocked out any harder. And as for the mosh pit... It involved about half of the crowd at some points, and was not entirely unlike the famous LA riots. Brutal would be an understatement.
Up next were the intriguing Track Zero - (Heat 6 & 1st Semi winners), who I'd neither heard of nor seen before. Music-wise they were pretty diverse, from slow and atmospheric pieces to the faster and more heavy songs, with a lot in between. They are clearly very well practised and used to being in front of an audience, and their movement on stage is fantastic, particularly from the keyboard player, who was definitely an integral part of the group, rather than a late addition as seems the case with a lot of other bands. While the crowd were a little tired at this point after the previous 2 bands, there was still good movement, most people, and many (including myself) were listening with great interest. Vocals were good in both their range and variety of styles, and I also noticed some particularly good bass-work, though at times this was a little too subtle in the mix. Definitely a band I'd like to see/hear more of.
The final band on the bill, Last Man Standing - (Heat 8 & 1st Semi winners), were the perfect close to the evening's music. With a great feel-good party vibe, they drew the crowd right back to the front for some jovial moshing and skanking. Their set was a perfect mix of their own songs and original takes on some well-known classics ('Stand by me' and 'No woman, no cry'), all played in a ska/punk style which put a smile on everyone's face. Both guitarists played flawlessly despite moving wildly all over the stage, drumming was spot-on, and their frontman was a great leader for both the rest of the band and the crowd. I did however, have one little question in my head the whole time - 'where's the brass section guys?!'
The result came a little later, as announced by the infamous and well-loved Keith. It was as follows: Fell Silent won, with the other 3 bands (Hekz, Track Zero, Last Man Standing) all sharing joint runners-up, with an additional award for 'best band with female members' going to Space Monki Mafia. The one little thing that did tarnish an otherwise perfect night were a few crowd members booing after the result was announced - a real shame that some people were so narrow-minded and pathetic that they couldn't accept the judges decision and be happy for the winners, and had to put a downer on the rest of us because of this. That aside, well done to all bands involved in both the final and all the other rounds, you were awesome!
Thanks go to the sponsors - Bedford Music Centre, M.A. Studios, the guest judges, The Blackout & friends sound and technical crew, Bedford Metal, The venue bar staff, The bands and everyone who came down and showed their support.
Review by Dan Barrett
( danskate@gmail.com , http://spaces.msn.com/members/danbarrett ) Dan vs. the World