Stratcast Podcasts

Week 4 of Soundclash2011, and the curse seems to be at bay because for the first time in this competition, all of the bands turned up. With sets from OK Roy, Elise, and Upon Collide, the ever- increasing crowd were in for a musical treat. Mellowing down from last week’s manic metal manifestation, we were offered a more idyllic indie taste. First up was OK Roy, with a shorter than anticipated set. With the lead singer having a distinctive monotony with his singing, it was almost comparable to Placebo but without the hedonism. The band definitely does not like to be taken seriously, even though it is clear that they do take it seriously. They like to perform at gigs, and Cox’s Yard was no exception. Cheeky tune “Shooting My Load” was a definite crowd-pleaser with its adolescent lyrics that you would not want your parents hearing. Unfortunately, the competition may be too strong for this band, and with a lack of followers in the crowd their chances look slim. They were more campfire than forest fire, but hey, we all like to camp every now and then. Elise was second to perform and energy was definitely flowing through the band members. With a more indie-rock approach, the songs were fast-paced with particular acknowledgment to the drummer, and our first female vocalist in the competition so far. This band wanted to win, and the passion was visible. The crowd were pleased, the band were pleased, even we were pleased with their performance. The band covered Katy B’s “Katy On A Mission” which was by far their best performance, and even being applauded by fellow competitors Upon Collide. With loyal followers, the votes were bound to be close, and Upon Collide would need an excellent set to win. So this was there chance to play the set of their life if they wanted a chance to grab that prize money. With a relaxed stage presence complete with witty banter, they already had the audience in the palms of their hands. They were the epitome of indie, and the crowd loved it. Everyone joined in with either clapping or singing along to the awesome songs being performed. A couple of tracks were slower than maybe fully appreciated, but they soon got into the flow of things and offered a cover of Killers “Mr. Brightside” that had complete audience participation. Even technical guru Sam was seen to be toe tapping. Did they do enough to secure that coveted first place? Well with screams of encore, that has never been witnessed so far, and other bands’ groupies dancing along to them, they certainly had a very good chance. Respect to stand-in compere with the results, as he teased the audience with the actual winners. I’m a gambling man, but even I could not predict a winner for tonight. So to find out who won, check out the latest podcast to see if the crowd preferred campfire, rock or collisions.

Week 3 of Round 1 and it looks like the curse of Soundclash is here to stay as Sanctified Torture had to pull out because of swine flu. So yet again, 3 became 2 as we had more of a metal treat this week. Remaining bands Labas and Deflection Theory were left to battle it out for that all important place in the next round. Labas went first, and with their mix of hard rock and punk vocals the mix turned heads. There were plenty of people to impress in the audience this week, and we’re not talking the soundclash radio crew. With naked torso to some pretty impressive guitar riffs, Labas certainly had a metal element that could compete with any future metal bands that dare brace the Soundclash stage. For those wondering how heavy metal Labas is, the name is Lithuanian for hello and not a reference to female genitalia…make of that what you will. Now it is fair to say that the strong audience was here to see and support Deflection Theory. A strong following for a strong band, they certainly knew how to impress. With a more hardcore element than Labas, this band had the heavy metal to affect piercings in the Labas region…and the crowd loved it. With gyrating on stage to the mightily impressive vocals of the tracks performed, Deflection Theory certainly had the upper hand but we still have to wait a couple of weeks to see what Sanctified Torture have to offer. Stay tuned to see what bands have to offer and who will make it through to the next round… but don’t forget to keep an eye out on that curse now.

Soundclash 2011 – Round 1 Week 2 January 12th, 2011 saw yet another band drop out of the competition, leaving just two to battle it out. Was the absences of Outbreak, and Victory Beat from week one, the start of a Soundclash curse? First up was Beyond Dreams of Grandeur, complete with banner and an accolade of outstanding alternative rock/metal tracks. The five guys certainly have a hunger for performing, combined with a united stage presence. After forming in 2009, could 2011 be the year for this head-strong band? Following Beyond Dreams of Grandeur was The Callout complete with a strong following of fans in the audience. With a huge respect for the set up at Cox's Yard for Soundclash, we were treated to a softer rock style of tracks. The three lads performed with great resilience combined with a cheeky callout style. But was this enough to get them through to round two?

Soundclash 2011 – Round 1 Week 1 January 5th, 2011 saw the first sets of round one being performed by bands at Soundclash. However, 3 became 2 when Victory Beat pulled out due to their guitarist leaving the band on New Year’s Day…Happy New Year Victory Beat. This meant two remaining bands had a 50/50 chance of winning the round, bagging £100, and entry into the semi-finals. First up was Morning Glory, four cheeky chappies from Worcester with a suitably named band. It was clearly visible that they were enjoying the experience, as were the audience. New to song writing, there were some credible tracks plus an excellent cover of Michael Jackson’s Beat It. Influenced by the likes of Blink 182 and Avenged Sevenfold, this alternative based group were a solid opening act, and no doubt we will be hearing from them in the future. And yes guys, we know where Morning Glory comes from… Their rivals for the night were The Death of Johnny Alpha. If Romero made music instead of zombie films, then this can only be described as the creation. From their zombie walk entrance onto stage, this band never failed with their energetic stage presence…not bad for dead guys. A completely different style of genre to Morning Glory, the audience was treated to ‘Zombie Rock’. With notable tracks including firm favourite All Hail The Elephant Man, the energy from stage was as infectious as a virus to the observing crowd. With treats from both bands, the actual winner was really going to be a tough call. To find out week one’s winner, and to listen to the backstage interviews, check out the podcast. Soundclash is live every Wednesday from Cox’s Yard, and covered on Stratcast from 8pm.