Battle of the Band round three, DING! DING! DING!
Heat three took place at The Mill, aka Fylde Bar on the 20th February 2013. The contestants for this heat were Sea Circuit, Sunset Boulevard, The Immigrants, and Ziggy and the Actor– a diverse group of artists that each brought something different to the stage.
Kicking off the night was two-piece acoustic guitar band Sunset Boulevard. They set the bar high. With a mixture of songs composed by themselves and an R ‘n’ B version of Replay’ that had their own twist to it and they captivated the audience. Their voices harmonized well producing such a full sound that made their music really easy to listen to. There was something about them that was a little Ed Sheeran- esque but that could have been just me picking up on that vibe. The set ended on a catchy number that stuck with the audience.
Next up was Ziggy and the Actor, a three piece band that featured a lead singer, a guitarist who provided some backing vocals and a percussionist. However, this wasn’t your ordinary percussionist, what was unique about this band was that they used a cajon instead of a full drum kit. A cajon is a box that has a rattle inside it and when beaten in certain ways produces an interesting sound. I was intrigued as they went on stage, as I had never seen this instrument played before. The band focused on acoustic covers of popular songs such as Dynamite and Hey Ya. The lead vocalist was incredible, his voice was really soothing and the songs were quite slow but they kicked it up a bit for the chorus- the guitarist was pretty good too. Out of personal preference I felt that there was something missing. I felt that I was waiting for something that I just couldn’t put my finger on. Maybe a really up-tempo number? But I suppose I am just being picky.
Just as I felt myself falling into a nice and relaxing state, The Immigrants came on the stage and turned the music up- loud! The band was lead by a female vocalist, drums and an electric guitar. The band offered a rocky vibe to the evening and they seemed to have a lot of support from the crowd. The Immigrants covered some Nirvana tracks and the vocalists voice suited these types of songs perfectly. The band even did an original song called Immigrant Blues and I really enjoyed it. Personally I think it was their best song and they should have done more originals or they should write more.
Closing the evening was Sea Circuit. Another female lead vocalist who was oozing with energy, it was a shame that the rest of the band wasn’t. Unfortunately for the band the drummer was absent due to illness so they had to play a semi- acoustic set. The band consisted then of an electric guitar and acoustic guitar and a bass. I really wanted to know what this band sounded like with a drummer, but I had to take them as I saw them. Sea Circuit played several original songs and all the while I was thinking about the missing drummer- but fair play to them for not dropping out and taking on the competition without all their members present. They also had a new bassist who looked a little out of place but I’m sure given time he will fit right in.
It was then time for the judges Simon Clarke, Laurence Pullman, Ollie Cox and Kirsty Lee to deliberate. After much discussion the winner was announced… and the winner was Sunset Boulevard. The wild card was Ziggy and the Actor who are put forward with the other wild cards in the hopes of reaching the final. All in all the night was fantastic and all the acts were awesome, they gave great performances and should not be down heartened if they didn’t get through to the final, it was a tough battle.
