BurySOUND

The night kicked-off with rock covers from the warm-up act Time Is 27. They weren't competing but did fine job of whipping up the crowd with classics such as 'We Will Rock You' and 'Sweet Child O'Mine'. 

After the appetiser, the first act to try and impress Bury's version of Simon, Sharon and Louis were RAIN, who were the runners-up in Haverhill's Battle of the Bands. Their new rap metal had the increasingly large crowd moshing. 

Rain

Power from the vocals and drums created a great combination for their rage-rock tracks that kept the people jumping. A slower song 'Dare To Believe' showed their other skills in moving a crowd with a more sensitive feel. 

THE HEROICS took to the stage impressively in their leather jackets. This punk/new wave band made a great impression on everyone with their immense Ramones-style energy that certainly entertained the crowd. Front man Dan Rooker showed his eccentric character throwing himself around the stage and into the crowd which went wild. 

The band's flair came from every member, but bassist Rob Reynolds took the lead, with an exciting hard sound that really showed off their remarkable talents in this competition. Their tracks and striking performance kept you hooked throughout their set.

Indie dance rock trio THE RODEO CLOWNS' first track 'Be Free' proved to be a musical contrast to The Heroics. The crowd started to disperse, but the band played on with a confidence and optimism which gained my respect.

Rodeo Clowns

A cover of Muse’s 'Supermassive Black Hole' showed some diversity but towards the end the songs seemed to merge and didn't show as much individuality as the previous bands had.

Last on was LEFT BACK, who had previously competed with The Heroics in a Battle Of The Bands competition at Bury's Studio 3 earlier this year. They had brought their fans in numbers and they were singing along. 

Left Back

They started with their best song 'Set Backs' which showed a mixture of attractive qualities - a mix of Chili Peppers style funk rock with emo vocals. Frontman Matt Cudby constantly interacted with the crowd and got a lot of feedback with appreciative dancing and cheering. The band really showed off their talents when bassist Jack Brookes took a lead with a funk rock solo, followed by the highly talented guitarist Paul Gallacher who really knew his stuff. They rounded-off the night well and their chances looked good.

All paying punters were given the opportunity to vote for their favourite band but the judges had the biggest input in who would go through to the final. The Heroics now go through to the final on Saturday 18th November and it was well-deserved.