Hendrike Rahtz reviews Bristol RAG's 2018 Battle of the Bands, a showcase of the 'extraordinary amount of talent' in Bristol students
The highly anticipated yearly Battle of the Bands was held at The Fleece, an excellent venue to host the fiery music coming from Bristol’s finest. The evening had a slow start – despite being a fairly small venue, it still had gaps, particularly at the front. The two presenters managed to liven up the audience enough to brave the stage front, but everyone was still slightly awkward and sober - a very different atmosphere to that seen at the end of the night.
The first band to perform was The Lobster Problem – two young guys with an impressive twin look - classic rocker come hippy, long hair and clothes, alongside heavy beat music to get everyone going. They started at 8:30pm, when the room was only half full–a bit of an unfair disadvantage, but that didn’t stop them winning second place with the audience vote (the lobster hat worn in the last song definitely gave them a boost)!
Locker 88 was the second band to perform, and the band to claim first place. Three male judges to choose a three male band for the win? What a surprise! Strong boy band vibes, and a Busted song they performed halfway through their set confirmed this hunch. However, their cute hairstyles and lack of confidence perhaps won over the judges’ decision.
Cassa & the Novas kicked off at 9:30pm with a very creative remake of ‘Crazy’ where they set a strong instantaneous good feeling about them. With an impressive female lead, they performed a mixture of their own songs and remakes, ending with ‘Valerie’. They started and ended with an energy that was passed on to the crowd (although that may have been the mixture of alcohol and classic tunes).
Triangle West also gave the audience an opportunity to sing along at their very enjoyable remake of ‘Live Forever’. Another wave of boy band vibes but it was their first ever gig and their performance was worth remembering, so look out for them.
The final band to close the night was Those Molten Eyes who definitely should have won best dressed if the title existed. Their dreamy yet rocky music was especially entertaining after you’ve had a few drinks and are swaying slightly uncontrollably. In all seriousness, their guitar solos were very impressive and they really did end the performances incredibly well.
Both the first place and second place winners received a bottle of JD as the ‘surprise’ prize. Locker88 nabbed the recording day at Factory Studios while The Lobster Problem went away with the music video recording day. An additional first place prize was for the winning band to play the Anson Rooms at the Bristol SU Awards ceremony. Plus, all the money raised went towards the RAG’s charities.
The Fleece hosted an extraordinary amount of talent and well done to all the bands that performed. A busy night of good music where all proceeds go to charity? Make sure to get your ticket for next year’s Battle of the Bands Bristol!
Featured image: Facebook / Bristol RAG
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