Tonight for me proves exciting but daunting, as I am set the tricky challenge of living up to the eloquent reviewing skills of Dan Carter, my predecessor.

Tonight sees a new event at Plantation- Battle of the Bands. Organised by Rachel Radovan, a Plantation regular, it seems a popular idea, drawing in the George Abbot crowd, and getting a good sized audience into the café despite other Guildford gigs on the same night. At the outset, tonight looks set to be a great gig, with the bands eager to perform and their friends eager to support them. It is very ironic, therefore, that the evening doesn’t exactly turn out as planned.

 

First up are newbie’s TOMAHAWKS ARENT TOYS, who come onstage with the apparent intention of ripping Plantation a new breathing hole. Their aggressive guitars, brutal screams and emotional singing blend together well, showing clear influences from the likes of Funeral for a Friend and Finch. These guys have energy in barrelfuls, a real eagerness to perform well, and have clearly thought long and hard about their songs, finding a formula that works and sticking to it, shining especially on potential anthem Paranoia for Paranoid People. It is their tightness as a group, however, that really drags them down. These guys know their individual parts well, but haven’t yet begun to stick it together in a cohesive manner, as an entire band. They are also plagued by technical difficulties- their lead guitar seems perpetually out of tune, and there are constant slips in timing from their drummer. These guys show real promise, and have proved tonight that they have a definite future in today’s screamo scene, but if they want to advance, they need time to step back and analyse their performance, and become really tight before they continue.

 

Next up are MOMENTS DISCHORD, who instantly prove themselves to be extremely tight as a band. These guys have rehearsed their act, and it shows. Drawing from acts such as Killswitch Engage and Atreyu, these guys are heavy. Discordant guitars and ear piercing roars come together in a sound that is both menacing and brutal. This sound, coupled with their energetic performance, means that these guys really stand out tonight, and are a sight to behold onstage, throwing their guitars around and head-banging like there’s no tomorrow. However, their attitude leaves something to be desired. Wandering onstage in an uninterested manner, faffing about between songs as if they have all the time in the world, taking about 5 minutes to replace a broken guitar string… it’s the small things really, but one wonders if they really care that much.

 

Last up are old school three piece ELECTRIC AUDIO. These guys are good, very good, and provide a nice change to the line up so far. Ditching the energy and emotional passion of today’s emo/screamo scene, they settle for the raw unfiltered power of heavy rock, mixed with the sleazy hardened attitude of grunge. Playing with ease, skill and technique, it’s clear that not only do these guys have a lot more experience than the other two bands, but that they enjoy playing together. Electric Audio aren’t about looking cool or fitting a certain scene- these guys care about the music and nothing but the music, which is a refreshing sight to see nowadays: A pleasure to watch, and a pleasure to review.

 

However, all of this is wasted on the first two acts and their supporters, because by the time Electric Audio are onstage, the café is all but empty. Now, if you pay £4 to see a few bands, it is of course your choice who you stay for and who you miss, but one would think that if you play a gig, that common courtesy would dictate that at the very least you stay and support the other band(s) you’re playing with, especially if they watched the entire gig up until their set. And one thing you do not do is begin to take your equipment away from the stage area during the other band’s set. Maybe its just me, but behaviour like this really leaves a bad taste in the mouth, not to mention the fact that, as the other bands have left, the Battle of the Bands concept is out of the window (how can a winner be judged if the bands have gone home?).

 

Still, here’s to the next gig!

 

Take Care,

Jamie Webster