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‘The first band’s just come on. They are good’ – those panicked words started off the highlight heat of the week. Wednesday’s line-up was a quirky and enthusiastic range of inarguable technical prowess – a lucky break for the reviewers trapped in Goodricke.
The night started with the Porcelain Flamingos, whose combination of soft guitar, lilting flute, endearing comedy lyrics and the odd operatic interlude were definitely ‘good’. The act was a bit gimmicky, with a wandering minstrel-esque narrator merrily singing a chorus of ‘I shot your duck’ while five back up singers swayed beside him. What the held the act together was the undeniable talent of the entire set. The theatrics, the humour, everything came together, setting the heat off to an uplifting start.
Next to follow were the unlikely dub-reggae masters of Magician’s Ghetto, who started off with a resonating car alarm started off the set. The septet then launched into what felt like a sporadic, if insanely well orchestrated jam session. Lead singer (and saxophonist) Will Harwood wouldn’t strike you as the voice of York dub reggae, but his lung capacity proved as vast as the band’s percussion section. Every instrument known to man seemed to pop up in a set that featured trombone and melodica harmonies, and even a bit of gratuitous saw-playing.
The poh-nese were the third band to take the stage, reinstating the guitar as the ultimate, all powerful instrument. When forced to describe their sound by awkwardly direct questioning, the boys of poh-nese went for the ever popular ‘upbeat guitary dance’ label. Getting off to a rough start with the slightly cliché clips from what could have been an old sci-fi film, the poh-nese broke out in dischordant chords before charging into an adrenaline fuelled set of relentless riffs. The guitar driven barrage was impeccable – but without vocals to break things up, the set lacked variety. The highlight was an amped up reworking of Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing. A definite crowd-pleaser, the track showed poh-nese’s potential, if only they could find another Marvin Gaye.
The Attic Select came next, hitting the Battle of the Bands stage for the third time (leaving a strew of forsaken names and the odd band mate behind them). A restless snare sounded the last hurrah of a group of true music fanatics. The boys performed an energetic and varied set that showcased the technical talent of its members – lead guitarist Ashley Manners providing the catchy hook of ‘Music is for Dancing’ while vocalist Mark McDaid excelled in a cover of Andy Williams’ ‘I Love You Baby’. Unfortunately most of the head banging took place on stage while a stagnant audience remained unmoved.
The Future Crew of the Pirate Ship Revenge seemed on odd end to the mostly upbeat evening, trading in ducks and melodicas for heavier bass and a bit of angst. The arrangements were sophisticated and the abilities were there but the band itself didn’t leave much of an impression – standing out as the more metal band of the night, but still just a metal band.
The Results:
5th - The Attic Select
4th - The Future Crew of the Pirate Ship Revenge
3rd - poh-nese
2nd - Magician’s Ghetto
1st - Porcelain Flamingos
The Yorker’s choice – Magician’s Ghetto
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