August 24, 2005
Finally the last heat of Junktion 7’s BOTB and Sideshow are here to kick it off. Powering onto the stage this three-piece heavy grunge act used deep, growling vocals and simple, catchy riffs to put together a tight performance.
The drummer utilised steady, pounding beats, which, along with the bass hammered the rhythms into your brain. The guitar mixed simple chord structures with occasional scale work to a simple, but good affect. The strong vocals backed up well by the angst filled screams of the bassist added passion to the music.
The repetitive vocal patterns gave good emphasis to the lyrics. It’s no-frills emotional rock, unfortunately it get a bit dull after a songs, a few more big build-up’s or more movement on stage could’ve added diversity to this nice, simple style of rock.
Second tonight is Meridian, who compared to their predecessors, crowded the stage with 5 members. But this togetherness is good, and from the start they seem confident and ready to put on a good show. The two guitars contrast mixing powerful riffs and some cool lead breaks, they interact well. With a bass that seems to move round the fret board like Michael Palin moves round the globe, Meridian have a really interesting and strong sound. Its rare to see a band who base so much of their sound around moving basslines but with the guitars supporting it well and still finding room to take up the melodies themselves at times, it makes for good listening. The tight drums and soft but strong vocals, which have a slight emo edge at times, keep the songs together and provide the consistency. The songs built up well into monsters of emotion and with a psychedelic edge, it mixes the atmosphere of a band like A Perfect Circle with the power of The Mars Volta. They also have pretty good presence and movement on stage and they leave the stage with the crowd on a high.
A Darker Origin were without their regular bassist on account of a broken finger, but it didn’t seem to compromise their ability to put together a varied set with an original sound. Using distinctive guitar riffs and deep, prominent bass, they incorporated grunge and punk influences into a slow, dark convoy of sound. The drumming seemed simple and disconnected at times, they didn’t quite keep up with the roaming bass. They vocals provided varied patterns and dynamics, but didn’t have the power complete they sound. They had good ideas and experimented with dynamics, making the riffs walk and climb nicely, but didn’t quite have the confidence and vocal ability to fulfil the promise the music made
So finally, the last band of the competition is This Is Neowave. Starting slowly they mixed commercial power-rock songs, with softer indie ballads. The sturdy bass and simple drums dragged the songs along. The guitars provided some nice melodies and backing, but needed to be more dominant at times. They used some nice dynamics and knew how to break down and build up songs, even though at times they seemed to lack confidence, with the songs not reaching their full potential. This Is Neowave’s main strength though is the catchy, emotional and clear vocals. With a relaxed attitude and good interaction with the crowd, the vocalist’s personal touch, mixed with his clever lyrics carried the songs, and variety and charisma. By the last song the band were really holding their own, this was their first gig and if they had been as confident at the beginning as they were at the end, they would have left a greater impression.
Battle of the band 2005 Heat 8 winner were………Meridian.
Writen By Steph + Gaz
