battle

friday night I was a judge at a battle of the bands. Shaun the booker, my former compadre from the pub now has a role with the local youth services office and was struggling to source enthusiastic and knowledgable persons for the role and so after a bit of pleading I helped the lad out. I pretty much detest the concept of music as a competition but I understand that's how the world works so on with the gig.

It was held at a local nite klub (sic) which was rammed with kiddies intent on drinking red bull, making out with each other and 'going off' to their mates bands. I suspect the current Attention Deficit Disorder pandemic is not being helped by energy drinks. The usual suspects at these shows presented themselves. A couple of inept punk bands in a the blink 182 vein, a couple of metal bands with cookie monster vocals and pleasantly enough a couple of acts that could actually play. My favourite were the Howl, a six piece hipster combo, great players with a modish take on the nu rock thing. Of couse they didn't win, the chocolates going to the other competent act called The Great Fall, who were a more screamo concern, tight as a nut and very polished but not this judge's bag so as to speak.

The organisers rather sweetly gave me a gift voucher for my efforts, so it was straight down to the shops on Saturday and Lego Indiana Jones on the Wii for the rest of the weekend. Awesome!