With the competition drawing closer to the finals the appeal of a seven band line up attracted a large local music loving crowd.

The Killer Cars’ development of deep melodic rock was a superb display of control punctuated by varying levels of distortion. Rabbit was rich in bass and demonstrated light and shade with the front man guiding the emotive quality of the music with a surprisingly deep voice for a man of his stature and size. The Killer Cars ruled the set and audience with a well thought out repertoire and outro to finish showing professionalism.

Second on the bill; Blackwater Station typified desert rock and it wasn’t too hard to imagine a Western Australian desert sessions recording studio out by the unearthly pinnacles with Blackwater Station at the helm. With music straight from the devil’s black soul they were heavy and ear-bleedingly loud, making all the mothers in attendance cringe. With a great lighting display that supported their thrashing, Blackwater Station rocked the whole way through.

Hang On St. Christopher set a very different pace with the impression of four young men on a musical passage. Thanks to a shared WAAPA background, influences of jazz, folk and contemporary music were brought together through pure vocal harmonies. Standout Crowded In Place had a real moving sensation to it with the use of snare and rhythmic bass sounding like a steam train puffing along a distant railway line.

Looking about the crowd one could spot members of competing bands of The Next Big Thing 09 including those who have made it to the semis and those unsuccessful. Witnessing proceedings all were out to support their peers regardless of their own band’s fate.

A five piece band backing a singer-songwriter united as Sam Carmody and A Place Called Panic. With a whispering husk of a voice, much like that of the trans-Tasman Finn brothers, Carmody gave a description of each of his songs giving light to the fiction of fact behind the stories.

Beginning before their introduction with some crazy monkey business involving grinding, licking and an assortment of wardrobe items, one could see that the next band were about to live up to their name. The Union of Crazy Monkey People from Outer Space took off with a dining table and warmed up limb and lung ahead of the most bizarre, original and energetic performances of metal inspired by cartoons?! Starting with a long climactic intro that lasted well over a minute before breaking into a rhyme that was menacing, fast and brutal out of a voice that ranged from high pitch squeals to low satanic growls. Using the table to perform and kneel on, in a comic routine about a lolly set to all out head banging metal, The Union of Crazy Monkey People revelled in the absurd.

Born in 1989 Special Brew returned following a break in 1995 saluting ska culture’s black and white check with their exuberant sounds. Initially off kilter something was out, but feeding off the crowd’s energy, Special Brew quickly got in-sync. Wearing an assortment of fedora hats Special Brew created a great vibe for people getting their Wednesday night skank on. Charismatic front man Magnus had a Clark Kent look about him in suit and glasses and produced some crazy onstage antics and rehearsed dance moves with the blasting brass.

Lastly Art In Algebra kept the crowd’s feet moving this time to synth and keys driven boppy pop. Light and palatable, but most importantly danceable, being last on the line up didn’t perturb their young and free spirit. Dolling out chocolate chip cookies as promised to their friends who came with a take one pass it around directive was a refreshing end to the evening’s musical performances.

It could have been anyone’s night. The limits inherent in a showcase, whether directed to industry or the public, require an artist to make every moment count and all bands, either through performance, interaction or story telling utilised their time to best effect. For the final heat this reviewer’s picks were Sam Carmody and A Place Called Panic, Special Brew and The Union of Crazy Monkey People from Outer Space.

The official result:
Winners – Art In Algebra
Runner up – Hang On St. Christopher