Last Sunday four of Newcastle’s best upcoming acts showcased their talents on stage at the Stag & Hunter as part of the local heat of the Global Battle Of The Bands. Our contributor Dan Beazley was asked to sit on the judging panel for the event and has submitted the following review.
I don’t like band comps, never have. Maybe it’s because none of my bands have ever won, maybe it’s because they’re usually competitions to see which band can bring the most people to a pub, or maybe it’s because more often than not, band competitions can be a bit shit. But despite this, last Sunday I found myself sitting in the front bar at the Stag & Hunter in Mayfield enjoying my night as a judge at the Global Battle Of The Bands’ Newcastle Heat.
As I sat there, I couldn’t help but think that my opinion of band comps maybe a bit jaded. In a perfect world band comps should be a good place to take a peek into the local music scene, a litmus test if you like. And if that’s the case, Sunday night’s band comp proves our local music scene is in good shape. The musos are talented, they’re making a diverse range of sounds and they know how to put on a show.
Onemiketheartist
First cab off the rank was local MC, Onemiketheartist. I’ve seen One Mic on stage before (I was listening to One Mike’s raps before he was Onemiketheartist). I like this guy and he’s a good bloke too, but to be honest I’ve never really dug his tone, and for me, my appreciation for rapping is all in the tone. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a Onemike show, so I was happily surprised to hear some real improvement in the tone of his voice pumping out the speakers. His flow too, was right in the pocket and the addition of a live drummer to accompany his tracks not only gave the live element of his show some real punch, it sounded great. I’m not sure if it was the new tracks and rhymes, but I really liked what I saw and heard.
It must be hard to get up as a Hip Hop artist at a band comp, but you wouldn’t have known it from Onemiketheartist’s performance. It was confident, fresh and fun to listen to. I gave it 7 record scratches out of 10.
Find out more about Onemiketheartist here.
All This Life
Next up on stage were alternative rock band, All this life. It’s the first time I’ve seen this band, and I’m immediately digging Andrew White’s guitar sounds. And maybe it’s showing my age, but Liv Dice’s vocal definitely reminds me of a young Ella Hooper, which I like. But I cant help thinking the whole thing is a bit “four to the floor”. I like alternative rock as much as the next Dad, but for me there were no memorable songs and the whole thing lacked enough energy on stage to pull it off. David Clarke’s bass playing is the exception here, this guy is the energy the band needs, especially Liv out the front. But the good thing is, I think in time, we’ll see this from All This Life.
There’s something about the sound this band makes that I really like and Liv’s voice is classic “Oz rock”. I gave it 5.5 rock riffs out of 10.
Find out more about All This Life here.
Euphorium
I saw Euphorium at last year’s Global Battle Of The Band’s heat at The Great Northern Hotel. I liked them then, and I liked them even more this time around. Like All This Life before them, Euphorium bill themselves as an alternative rock band, but it’s really chalk and cheese. Euphorium’s sound leans more to the metal side of alternative rock and reminds me of bands like Karnivool and Dead Letter Circus. Jono Collard’s vocal is the highlight for me, this guy really has the chops. He’s got a big range and the perfect tone for this sort of music. He’s just that good. The other members of the band are no slouches either, everyone is putting in 110% here. Highlights of the band’s set included their opening number and a duelling piano breakdown. How often do you see an alternative rock band kicking a duelling piano break down? It was awesome!
These guys won the night with a set that stood up from the beginning and just kept on delivering. I like this band and really think they are one great song away from breaking through. I gave it 8 soaring vocal melodies out of 10.
Find out more about Euphorium here.
Bad Luck Kitty
Can Tom Blake be any more talented? I’ve seen Tom in a number of lineups, most recently as a solo artist, singing and playing guitar in the beer garden at the Wickham Park Hotel. Tonight he’s behind a stand up drum kit providing the driving rhythm for this highly entertaining rockabilly band. And he’s bloody good at it. These guys have great songs, and the play between guitarist/vocalist and bass player, Adam Gear and Dean Lewis is not only great to watch, it really gives the songs an energy beyond their sum. With the three players standing up the front of the stage and delivering danceable song after danceable song it was hard not to sit up and take notice. It’s the first time I’ve seen this band and I had a smile on my face from the first song until the last. I’ll be back for more.
For me these guys were robbed of the second spot which went to All This Life. I’m not trying to take anything away from All This Life because they’re a great band, but for mine Bad Luck Kitty were just a more polished act who were further down the road than All This Life. I gave them 7 double bass slaps out of 10.
Find out more about Bad Luck Kitty here.
Overall I had a really great night at the Stag & Hunter. As I said in the beginning, if this is a peek into our local music scene we’re in good shape. I love what the Stag & Hunter have done in their front bar, its a great place to see live music and all the acts really delivered on the night.
You can find out more about the Global Battle Of The Bands here.
