Popular local venue The Mad Ferret played host to some of the most promising bands in the North West in a fierce battle of the bands competition. The JD Set Unsigned rolled into UClan looking for some of the most talented university bands, and well, we may have found them.
It’s fair to say that The Mad Ferret isn’t the most attractive of places but there’s a certain charm that resonates well tonight with tonight’s crowd. Add to that the fact it’s been re-decorated with Jack Daniel’s merchandise-it looks like we’re set for a cracking night.
And from the off, that assumption looks to be correct. First band Too Many Heroes burst on stage with a sound so now it’s impressive that they don’t veer off into pastiche. Instead Blackpool’s finest deliver a short, snappy set that’s the natural evolution of Enter Shikari’s sound. Oh, and then that cover. Katy Perry’s monster-smash ‘I Kissed A Girl’ is transformed into an exuberant chant that sees the swelling crowd won over. Impressive.
Following on from Too Many Heroes are the much more melancholic Doal Drummer. Think shades of The Doves and Editors mixed in with a huge serving of Joy Division. There’s a superb brooding ache to ‘Talent Show’ and its refrain of “You should be in a talent show/It’s so big/Your ego”. In fairness Doal Drummer have managed to create an exciting wall of sound, and if only they had been willing to engage slightly more with the crowd, we probably would have had the winner.
Third on the bill were popular local boys Lazy Halo. The audience had now pretty much reached capacity and were waiting eagerly to hear a sound that was described as “Incubus, but miles better” by a reveller on the night. These boys used their obvious sense of humour to get through the set, that and a barrage of about five cracking tunes that wouldn’t feel out of place in a venue ten times this size. Lazy Halo delivered an eclectic mix of true rock’n’roll but with an almost-bluesy feel in certain songs that exceeded expectations for a mere battle of the bands contest.
The final band to throw their musical hat into the ring were Apogee, who provided a much more muscular feel to proceedings. Y’see these three specialise in intelligent post-hardcore music that basically…rocks. Tracks such as ‘Devolution’ allowed for a deep bassline to be ploughed through by Ed Jervis’ erstwhile vocals. Endorsed by the likes of RockSound and Metal Hammer magazines, they worked the crowd well and only lost the prize by a split-vote after the judges couldn’t come to an initial decision.
And that’s it then, the winner is… Lazy Halo.
In a night full of surprisingly good music, Lazy Halo triumphed to take the invaluable recording studio time. UCLAN Student Brand Manager for Jack Daniel’s, Gina Armitage said of the event: “Thanks to everyone who attended the event, it was a fantastic success. A massive well done to all the bands who played, they were awesome and congratulations to the guys of the winning band, Lazy Halo, I hope they enjoy their prize. I wish all the bands luck in the furture and for the JD Set Unsigned National Competition.”
For more information on the bands:
- Too Many Heroes – www.myspace.com/tmhuk
- Doal Drummer – www.myspace.com/wearedoaldrummer
- Lazy Halo – www.myspace.com/oneandonlylazyhalo
- Apogee – www.myspace.com/apogee
Or for more information on Jack Daniel’s promotions and events, visit www.thejdset.co.uk
