Somerset Standard and Guardian Battle of the Bands Final, Cheese and Grain, Frome, 08.09.2009

This year the Somerset Standard and Guardian Battle of the Bands competition celebrated its fifth anniversary in style with one of its biggest finals showcasing some of the finest bands in the region.

Here On Out drew the short straw and was the band selected to open the gig, but they kick-started the show in style.

Good times and good tunes – Here On Out deliver the goods on all levels.

When it comes to defining the perfect party punk band, Here On Out tick all the boxes: honest heartfelt lyrics and sugar-coated sunny melodies complete delightful danceable tunes… what more could you ask for?

Here On Out are a slick live band who push all the right buttons and they’ve already come a long way.

With the finishing touches being made to their soon to be released debut album, entitled Don’t Sweat Over It, I guarantee you can expect to see and hear a lot more from Here On Out in the future as their reputation spreads beyond the South West.

I have to say hats off to Johny’s Day Out for not following fashion…

In my opinion, not too many young bands today would entertain the idea of reaching for a copy of Hotel California by The Eagles and emulating it’s “classic rock” sound.

There is a self-assured confidence in their approach to songwriting which reflects a desire to play the kind of music they obviously love. I don’t think I have heard a frontman perform a whistling solo since Axl Rose on Guns N Roses’ Patience, however, Tom Seymour throws one in for good measure on the track Running and there is more than one lighter-in-the-air moment during a set which is all met with utter devotion by their friends and family.

Indeed, their fans hang on every word, gleefully bouncing and cheering along and, as JDO amp up the classic rock to 11, the haze of happiness felt by their followers spreads around the rest of the crowd.

If you’re not afraid of insanely catchy rock choruses Casino Drive are a delight to savour.

Hideously contagious and flawless performers, their stadium-sized tunes are tailor-made for stages such as the Cheese and Grain.

The fabulous five-piece exudes energy and the band storms through a set which is as impressive as it is tight.

They’re the first band of the night to really use the vast stage to good effect and it is a blinding spectacle which keeps pulses racing throughout.

Musically, mixing the sublime harmonies of, say, Brand New with the abrasive caustic noise of Biffy Clyro, Casino Drive create some of the most passionate and beautiful sounds around.

Expansive and intricate in part, the band hammer through the likes of Stories and Pressure, leaving the audience breathless and wishing for more.

The furious set delivered by Frome five-piece Counting Days could be described as nothing short of a force of nature.

Frontman Shauny paces the front row like a caged tiger unleashed, the raw-throated fury of his vocals matching the volatility of the band: a meticulous tsunami of riffs from guitarists Martin and Joe are matched in abundance by the whipcrack drums of Kai, while bassist Nick Willcox’s thrilling scissor-kick leaps in time with the music bring to mind classic Dee Dee Ramone or Paul Simonon… pure punk rock ‘n’ roll.

Such is their overwhelming power and conviction there is little doubt in my mind that their name and reputation among the underground UK hardcore punk scene will make Counting Days a name to look out for.

A visceral display of dynamics and drama, this is possibly the most insanely balls-out rock band to emerge from the region since last year’s winners All Guns Blazing.

At the heart of the song 10 Billion, by the night’s last finalists Doctor Nut, there exists a wise old owl who destroys silly little emo kids with his hyper-intelligence. Well, I’m proud to say Doctor Nut has left this so-called music journalist defeated and lost for words.

On reviewing the previous heat I foolishly tried to find the words, saying “Doctor Nut deliciously fuse together anthemic punk with black-hearted death metal alongside classic prog rock and baroque”, but I’m afraid I only scratched the surface. In my opinion their music is genius and it’s nailed to perfection live.

There is a freshness and uniqueness to Doctor Nut which is so utterly exciting that once you have caught the band live you want to immediately see and hear them again… And believe me, the next time you do you’ll pick up on totally fresh sound which you simply missed first time around.

I liken the Dr Nut experience to the gum Violet Beauregarde chews in Roald Dahl’s novel Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. The character gets her comeuppance when she ignores Wonka’s advice not to try the three-course dinner flavoured candy … Dr Nut is the musical equivalent to that piece of gum.

Listen to tracks 10 Billion or Elves And Wizards and you will experience never-ending textures and delights. While you might not turn blue and expand like a balloon, you’ll find that the most insanely catchy tunes are stuck inside your skull.

That is the beauty about the hyper-intelligent Doctor Nut … silly little music journalists need to pigeonhole bands – a concept which Doctor Nut has single-handedly destroyed.

Sadly, the closeness of the final results meant scores had to be double checked meaning that I missed out on catching returning winners All Guns Blazing first live performance since recording their killer debut album.

However, the results revealed that Johny’s Day had won one of the closely contested BotBs ever held.