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Following previous years, 'Permission To Rock' promised to be a successful event in Ipswich.

At 7pm people began to start flowing into the venue. It was nice to see a mix of ages, of young, old, and inbetweens all together.

The music kicked off at 7.30 with Artistic Banana, getting the crowd going, and despite the sound being a little dodgy the band set the scene for the rest of the night. People were still flowing in to the venue in time for the crowd-pleasing The Fast Articles, who played music in the vein of the Kaiser Chiefs, or something along those lines. Either way, they were pretty good.

The Great White Hopes also played really well, displaying a Nirvana-esque grunge style. Whilst not something I'd necessarily listen to, the trio played really well together.

The Fast Articles

They made way for The Enemy Within, aptly described as an 'up and coming rock band', they were good on stage and showed good presence. They were also a metal-ly rock band who got the crowd moving.

Next, Felixtowe's Hokum came to the stage. They played a funk rock derivative with some decent riffs and good vocals. They brought a good sense of originality with them. They were entertaining on stage, and they impressed the crowd.

Ska'ey punks Singled Out were another band that were really good. They've supported bands like Red Flag '77 and the Ballistics. They were also a band that my musical taste warmed to more than any other. They laid claim to the stage, and were awesome.

Subject 2 Availability (or S2A, as they're known) played a kind of Rage Against The Machine influenced rock. They looked like they had a lot of experience playing to a relatively large crowd. Probably a more melodic poppy sound than some of the other 'metal' bands, but they did what they did, well.

Sonic Funk were also brilliant, combining various drum beats, fast and slow. The crowd clearly enjoyed their set, and they added to the success of the whole night.

All bands performed really well, and the night was a success. I spoke to various people at the end of the gig, including a crowd member, Chris, who said "All the bands were ace, my favourites were Singled Out and Hokum, but they were all pretty good."

I also spoke to Rhys, the singer from The Fast Articles after the gig, "It was surprising to see a phenomenal turnout" he remarked, "We've never played to so many people!"

One major criticism of this year's event was the lack of information provided to anyone. I mean, who was playing? Anxiously Googling at home, I could find nothing. Even when I got to the venue to ask people I was met by blank faces. 'A Night of Youth Rock Bands' is quite vague, and if people are coming it'd be nice to know who's playing. Anyway.

Bands always play best when they perform for a large, eager crowd, and that was what Permission To Rock provided, and whilst it could have been organised perhaps a little bit better, it was a good night for both the bands, and the crowd.

Did you perform at Permission to Rock? Send us your pictures and we'll add them to the website.

Permission to rock is a free annual event that is organised and part funded by the East of England Co-op and the council.