Soundclash 2011 - March 16th

Well after a heavy start to the semi-finals last week, the music has mellowed slightly with three very popular bands battling it out for a place in the final. Basement Services had the honour of starting the ceremony, and even though there was a slight glitch with a guitar string breaking, it was an excellent start to the show. The strong audience thrived on the epic skills of this band, with much kudos going to the sheer talent of the lads and their musical skills. Let’s not forget our female vocalist, who has a unique voice, which can only be described as gravelly. She puts her own mark to the lyrics and the style she sings them in. With the inclusion of a funk cover, this band had a range that created so much final potential for them. Second up saw the return of Wave Goodbye Sunset, and some of their tracks that originally secured them this spot in the semis. A bit more relaxed than Basement Services, WGS had the attitude that their music has you engrossed. There is no denying that this indie act had a sense of melancholy intertwined with the lyrics and instrumentals. The crowd loved them, which caused confusion as to which band they were actually here to support. Music seemed to be the actual winner tonight, but with two strong acts so far Upon Collide needed to pull all the stops out to win. Let’s just say that the strings were pulled. Upon Collide is one of those bands that seem to have everything. They had the audience at their beck and call. With the banter on stage to the most stunning voice the lead vocalist delivers with, the odds were certainly looking better for this band. Upon Collide had brilliant songs, great adaptations of covers and another request for an encore. The crowd loved them but then the crowd apparently loved them all. The discussions backstage all involved comments about who the crowd were here to support. This was genuinely going to be a close call, with three talented bands all deserving that final place after their performances tonight. To find out which band the crowd loved the most, check out the podcast. With one more place left in the final, things are definitely hotting up at Soundclash, and we’re loving every minute of it. Stratcast will also be doing a feature length special for the final, so listen out for more details on the next show.