On this weekend, all the action seemed to be in the Valley, marking the first night of the annual Valley Fiesta. But just down the road in a venue underground was an intimate gathering with music and company to outdo any street festival.

Wind&Brackets got the evening started with a rather perfect rendition of Summer Loving from Grease, before jumping head first into a fast paced energetic set. Their raw sound and catchy tunes made it impossible to stand still, and songs were very well received by the crowd who moved to the beat in appreciation. Wind & Brackets is a fine example of everything we have to look forward to in local music.

The Rocketsmiths quickly set up and plunged straight into it. Frontman Dominic Miller’s stage presence is just awesome to watch. He is all smiles and stage charisma, and even in the midst of technical difficulties he still manages to keep everyone entertained. The band play crowd favourites; Fake Vegas and Augustine kept the intimate yet loyal audience dancing away, while the melodic A Good Example of A Cliche Love Song had the crowd swaying in unison and hanging off every beautiful lyric. Finishing with an unfamiliar yet well received new song, they left the audience wanting more – a night out seeing The Rocketsmiths leaves you feeling just damn happy.

The Gin Club sets the mood with a relaxing folk set to wind down the evening. With the soothing vocals and a thin layer of cigarette smoke hovering in the room they set the scene for a peaceful night. The Gin Club ease through their set, only pausing to talk to the crowd who are reacting well to the laid back and friendly nature of the band.

The night concluded with a DJ set from The Saints guitarist, Ed Kuepper, who kept the crowd 50’s dancing and entertained until the early hours of the morning.

The night was a rare and intimate insight to some excellent local bands, who played like it was a friendly, laid back show in their parents living room. All were modest performances worthy of appreciation.