Kicking off the entire competition was Lonely Cave Kings. A college-rock flavoured band. Sometimes the singer sounded like Bob Dylan with a very "don't care" essence in his vocal which was reminiscent of 70's rock. More about the message of the song than the actual pitch of the vocals. The drummer had great spunk in rocking his kit. The singers's guitar had a great tone for his chords and strumming but the lead guitar tone just wasn't doing it for me. I don't know if they were borrowing gear but it just didn't fit that style of music. Tight sound and a good image for the style of music it was. Definitely check out their recordings which I think capture their sound well.
Sally's Hot took the stage next. Last time we had seen this Po-Co based band was at the Railway Club when Hammer Records booked them. Having greatly tightened up their sound, their look and their stage presence they have improved 200%. Leaning away from Pop-Punk and diving into real punk-rock has greatly improved their sound. Their lead guitarist needs a bit more bite on his guitar tone. I think just a step up in gear and they could be formidable punk band in the future!
Kicked Off The Farm drove all the way from Langley and thank goodness they did! Most of the people we ran into that night were there to see Kicked Off The Farm. From their first chord we knew we were in for a treat. These hard rockers brought the fire into the cellar! Great edgy vocals, rough crunch guitars, thick melodic bass lines mixed with some prog-hard rock drums made for a perfect combination. They looked stage ready and marketable which was a great bonus. I know not every band needs to dress up for shows, but having an image always helps. Some tasty lead guitar licks sweetened the deal as they tore up the stage to a surprisingly rambunctious crowd. Cant wait to see these guys again!
After that performance we hoped that Grizzly Bones would bring the thunder, and yes they did! More of a rag tag rock and roll group flare than the previous band. Their recordings didn't do them justice as they danced, grooved, and head banged all over that stage. Crowd surfing, shoulder sitting upon, were just some of the antics that the fans did as Grizzly Bones played their post-rock psychedelic tunes. All the way from North Delta we can't wait to see more of these guys. Our only advice "Get better recordings!"
Stay tuned for next week! We get to see I Am An Optimist, The Green Room, Bobby's Cane, and Crank Shaft. Also if you are a band in this contest and you want Hi-Res Photos, contact us at hammerrecords@hotmail.ca
Thanks again to the Cellar, Rednyne and all the great bands!
Cheers
-James
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