July 25, 2005
So we have managed to find our way to Derby for this one night BOTB at the world famous Bell Hotel (maybe not world famous but…), tonight has two heats of 3 then the 2 winners get to play again before announcing the winner.
Heat 1
So Heat 1 starts with 3 traditionally scruffy looking punks, going by the name Mr. Wolf, with piercings and Mohawks they look the part. They kick straight in with their no nonsense, raw, dirty and simple brand of fun, catchy skunk-punk and the crowd seems to love it. They are confident and tight using big catchy vocal chants and in your face punk riffs with a nice ska edge to some parts of the songs. The vocals are shouty and infectious and with a bass that also moves around nicely, it is like a verbal bouncy castle. It has really good energy and both the bassist and guitarist have good stage presence and typical British punk cockiness! The guitar also provides good melodies and with the dirtier vocal shouts and smashing drums, it works well for this sort of simple in your face punk. They seem to really enjoy playing and don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks cause they know they are great! To top it off they finish their set with 2 classic, fun punk covers in Right said Fred’s Deeply Dippy and Johnny be good and it kicks ass!
Next to take the stage are Love Burger, using crunchy and dirty distortion mixed with clear and punky vocals, they put in a passionate performance that’s full of conviction. The bass roams round nicely and adds beef to the sound and with the thumping drums kept it tight. The vocalist moved round the stage well and his voice was clear and strong and also built up the emotion and intensity of the songs well. They have a really rocky sound with a good range of influences from punk, metal, grunge and indie and with a nice psychedelic edge at times. The guitar mixed driving riffs with sharp and smart lead breaks. They were very tight and put in a professional performance, with the moving guitar melodies and driving bass and drums being topped off by the catchy in your face yet still melodic vocals. The only thing that slowed them down was the bass amp that kept packing up, which was unfortunate, as Love Burger sounded really interesting.
Suddenly the noise level goes up a notch as Malemorphia take the stage. A heavy mix of screaming nu-metal and classic metal with plenty of emotion, with great use of melodic interludes that slowly transcend into chaos. The funky drums and bass kept the sound together, even though the drums seemed to stray at times but still used kit well and used some cool fills. The guitars flew in some great emotional solos that provided extra beef and feelings. With deep grunting lead vocals that were mixed with the guitarist’s more melodic vocal style it worked well. The band had good presence and seemed to play well together, it was a nice, interesting mix of rock and metal and with abit more power in the vocals could be something really good. Their songs built up well and the last song was a completely mind-blowing epic and emotional roller coaster, played with confidence and style and showing some great technique. Impressive stuff.
Winner of heat 1 were Mr Wolf
So we have managed to find our way to Derby for this one night BOTB at the world famous Bell Hotel (maybe not world famous but…), tonight has two heats of 3 then the 2 winners get to play again before announcing the winner.
Heat 2
Catharsis were first up in heat 2, and with their steady progressive emo style, they used strong guitars and tight bass to give them a heavier edge. With the rolling basslines and melodic vocals, their songs had good movement and built up well, but when it came to it, they lacked conviction, and it all felt a bit unbalanced, with a lot of repetition. The high-pitched vocals didn’t seem to fit the style, the drums were crashing around, but for all the crashing, they didn’t have enough power to give the much-needed beef. It wasn’t the tightest all-round performance we’ve ever seen, but did have an interesting and melodic twist to the well-know emo style. With passionate performances from the bassist and guitarist, these guys have got potential, but don’t seem to know where to direct their sound.
Suddenly the crowd seems to move in and a strange stink fills the room, it’s dirty and really fills your nostrils. It is Issue VI. The front man sucks on his fag as the guitars use flowing, simple riffs and work well with the bass and drums, that push and lift the songs like a fork-lift truck navigating itself through a mine field. They mix a commercial garage and emo sound with shouty punk vocals and have a hell of a lot of attitude. This energetic mix of rock n roll and glam rock is really in your face and with strong and cocky performances from the front man and guitarist, its impossible to ignore. The band seemed very together and confident. They are pretty tight too. They put on a good show even though it was a bit batty at times. Impressive and cocky stuff and with a cool image it was fun to watch.
So to the final act, and they are Vendettas. The first thing we noticed is how tight the bass and guitar were, intermingling and locking together really well. Their upbeat grungy indie rock had a nice progressive and psychedelic edge but fell short of being experimental. With some 90’s Indie feel, it had clear and blunt vocals that worked well. They used good dynamics and had catchy and nice melodies and their songs were played with confidence. They didn’t have a massive amount of movement on stage even though the singer seemed more active than the other members. With a nice heavy edge, the music built well and they had a nice variety to their sound. The guitars and bass were powerful and moved the songs beautifully. Very professional, with work on their stage act this could be something really good.
Winner of heat 2 were Issue VI.
So they both played again, putting in fun, powerful and committed performances, but the judges decided the Winner of BOTB at the Bell wasÂ… Mr. Wolf!
These images are unedited
