Melbourne Fresh Battle of theBands @ Revolver, Melbourne(20/01/09)

Wed 21st Jan, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Most Melbourne gigs are attended by scruffy, twenty-something music aficionados who enjoy a couple of bands, a beer and maybe some debauchery in a nearby laneway. The Melbourne Fresh Battle of the Bands competition however, was unlike most gigs. Revolver Upstairs was filled to the brim with an eclectic crowd of annoying photo-taking mums, head bopping grannies, friends of the bands and the occasional drunken lout. The bill was just as diverse, with the 18 bands ranging from psychobilly and indie, to cock rock and melodic metal.

Even though all the bands in the competition were unsigned, the crowd was treated to an unbelievable amount of talent and energy. Bands were judged according to musicianship, originality, popularity and presentation. The chilled sounds of Fare Evader won the hearts of the audience and the judges, with the crowd breaking into dance with their catchy tunes and snaring the big prize of the night – a full EP recording including consultation with Paranoid by Design. Led by a ferocious female singer, Constant Congress picked up two prizes on the night. These were management consultancy sessions to provide strategic assistance for their career, and a full day in the recording studio for drawing the largest crowd. The Encouragement Award went to The Deep End for their brand of Australian cock rock, complete with screaming fans in band tees and a very shirtless guitarist. The prize for this award was a single recording accompanied by consultation with Paranoid by Design. City Calm Down received the booking consultation prize, with the band to receive professional help on booking shows. Fabian and the Calculator Kings won the cash prize of $500, causing this writer to wonder if she could perhaps mug the band afterwards (but didn’t).

With only a handful of prizes, many of the night’s incredible talent went without formal recognition. One such band was Seldom Blue with their slew of Triple J ready songs. Buttertime also rocked the house, with their two singers bouncing off French rap and jazzy female vocals. Metal heads Lost Order proved to be a treat to watch, pulling off all sorts of guitar wankery, a confetti explosion and a stuff toy monkey in the mosh pit. The Government was unfortunate to be the victims of a drunk yelling various insults. Their charismatic singer silenced the inebriated individual with the grace of a seasoned performer, ingeniously dedicating a song called Mother to him, because ‘his mother would be so proud’ of his heckling. Other bands that performed were The Whole Molko, The Strange Attractions, Victoria Dunbar, Infinity State, Cell Damage, Banksy & The Silence, Erik, Drive By Epic and Coal.

Melbourne Fresh Battle of the Bands is one of the city’s most successful events for unsigned bands. The next round will start in early March 09, and is organised by Paranoid by Design.