On Saturday 13^th in the South Hall of Hazelwick school, this years Battle Of The Bands kicked off.  The opening heat had a fair array of bands both in genre and talent but unfortunately the same could not be said of the crowd.  With one band down, Last Time Hero, it left 6 bands to battle it out.

Through no fault of their own, Small Print opened the proceeding with their first track to what seemed to be one man and his dog that had wondered in to see what was happening.
Their set was nothing more or less than they needed, a well rehearsed and entertaining performance.

As the night continued with Heroes Vs Villains, a band reminiscent of last years winners A Day After Tomorrow.  Eyes, an electronic 3 piece that (played without the 4^th member female vocalist Charlotte Savage) were a pleasant act.  It did seem that they slowed the pace of the night like taking the scrabble board away from the pensioners at the old peoples home, leaving them to just sleep.   This does not mean they aren’t talented as they would sit better in a Brighton or London club, complimenting a larger band, just not in a Crawley school.

Anubis we’re what seemed like the veterans of the show with their classic rock/metal music breathing life back into a weary audience.  This however wasn’t on of their better performances with lacklustre lead vocals over somewhat chaotic and uncharacteristic tracks.

The Mirrors from East Grinstead were the outsiders on the night in the penultimate slot.  Leaving Dizzy Tales up last with their Babyshambles/Libertines inspired jingle jangle indie.  These guys have definitely improved started going to BIMM and that seemed clear in their performance.

All that was required now was the results.  As this was the first year that the audience have received a vote it needed a few minutes to count up the scores which revealed that Small Print and Dizzy Tales would progress through to the final.

As which every BOTB across the country and indeed world, their were divided opinions as to whether or not that was the right result.

Lets see what heat 2 brings!

Heat 1 – Saturday 6th Feb

The Small Print – www.myspace.com/thesmallprintuk
Eyes – www.myspace.com/eyesuk
Heroes Vs Villains – www.myspace.com/todaysoceantomorrowsflood
Last Time Hero – www.myspace.com/lasttimehero
Anubis – www.myspace.com/anubisuk
Mirrors – www.myspace.com/mirrorsbanduk
Dizzy Tales – www.myspace.com/dizzytales

Heat 2 – Saturday 13th Feb

Mass with a Herbivore – www.myspace.com/masswithaherbivore
The Dead Summer – www.myspace.com/thedeadsummer
This Means War – www.myspace.com/thismeanswarband
Prime Addiction
Picture the Betrayal – www.myspace.com/picturethebetrayal
Raising Maise – www.myspace.com/raisingmaisie
Flight School Academy – www.myspace.com/flightschoolacademy

Heat 3 – Saturday 20th Feb

Six Time Champion – www.myspace.com/sixtimechampion
Drop Out Luke – www.myspace.com/dropoutlukeonline
Lights of Paris – www.myspace.com/lightsofparis
And the Caution Horses
Zero Killed – www.myspace.com/zerokilledok
Smile from a Stranger – www.myspace.com/sfasuk
He’s a Bear – www.myspace.com/hesabearuk

All heats are at South Hall, Hazelwick School, Crawley, 6pm, £3

Yes its back again for another year.  Will there be good prizes for the bands, will people turn up, will the bands be any good or will it be amazing? who knows, but I’m intrigued as to what the new crop of young bands are like.  In recent months alot of bands have disappeared and or gone quiet like Us and Them, 84MM and Press To Meco whether this is due the recent cold weather forcing them into hibernation or have they just run their course and so look to fresh pastures in the new year?

Either way this competition, in whatever spirit or standard it is produced will hopefully breath fresh life into a town to drunk to find its way or to remember the good times.

The heats are on 6th, 13th and 20th with the final on 27th Feb 2010, all in the South Hall at Hazelwick, 6:30pm.  There is also an acoustic final on 14th March in the  Hawth Studio, Crawley at 6:30pm.

You can find out more about the competition via Facebook, Myspace or the Website.