How Australian bands embraced Emergenza Festival and rocked the stage for a chance to go to Germany. They mean business! The night kicked off with young band Like Kites, who were taking the stage for only their second gig together. Despite this, their alt-rock sound was surprisingly tight, something akin to The Butterfly Effect musically, but with Phil Jamieson from Grinspoon fronting them. Their rhythm section, an obvious highlight, forced early punters to shuffle forward. Well done.As the next band The Mediocre Folk started their allocated 25 minutes, the Fowler’s room was pumping. The Mediocre Folk are somewhat good, but clearly they know it! The three members, fitted with grins from ear to ear, ripped through comical songs such as Pickup Lines, where the line, “Excuse me do you have any raisins, well how about a date then?” pretty much summed them up.By the time The Pete Jenkins Band were announced by our bleach haired presenter that is compulsory for all band competitions, people had returned to the venue. Pete and his band offered an old school bluesy rock sound with a touch of country for good measure. They were one of most talented groups with individual musicians we've seen in Australia. Another band playing only their second gig fronted the stage next. Fair Veronah immediately captured the audience with an eery Radiohead-esque sound. The opening four songs were deep and lyrically the most sound on the night. Some minor timing issues slipped in a little later in the set but the crowd, well and truly lost in the music, was oblivious to this. It’s exciting to see what this band matures into with time. Taking the stage with a certain swagger, Dexter Jones, sounded like Franz Ferdinand would have if they had of been big in the 70’s. With an array of vocal harmonies and subtle tones that Alex Kapranos himself would be proud of, they punched through a fierce set clearly influenced by bands such as the Kinks, Weezer and Ok Go. It was no surprise that they had the crowd wild and progressed through to the Semi final. Our interest stayed the same for the next two bands, not sure whether my body had had enough for a Sunday night but we stuck around to see what the next bands were like. Afternoon Rebellion were your typical rock band following in the paths of British India, with sharp vocals and simple structured guitar. Nothing new certainly, but still provided strong songs that have the potential to grow on listeners. In my opinion one of the strongest tonight and proof that solid rehearsals and simple rock songs mixed with good crowd interaction is the secret. Next band, White Rhino, had probably the largest following of the night and had a good sound. Their lead singer, resembling Frenzal Rhomb’s Jason Whalley or James Hetfield with a fine set of dreadlocks, scorned the microphone with dark lyrics and passion. However, his voice did sometimes need of a rest. It goes to show that excitement and confidence ain't enough. Still a very good band with loads of room for improvement. Bring to the stage the last band of the night, a band whose name was slipped around the room upon arrival and was displayed on clothing of fans: the infamous heavy Adelaide band, The Fak. After the hype I had heard prior to the show, I was intrigued to see what was in store; I wasn’t disappointed. Firstly, three members appeared on stage topless with one member sporting a tattoo titled “FUCK” across his chest. Cue the confident lead singer, who immediately threw his glasses and a used lollipop into the crowd. Now some people say it’s all about the music, but that’s entertainment. Sticking with a common theme of the night, the band incorporated the sounds of bands such as Linkin Park and Karnivool into their lively’ show. They also progressed through to the next round alongside Fair Veronah, White Rhino, Afternoon Rebellion and Dexter Jones. I know I said four bands went through but due to the votes being taken by a hand count there was not surprisingly a tie for fourth place. All in all, Emergenza Australia has a wide array of exciting up and coming bands for you to check out and watch progress in the years to come. Do get along to some of the other heats at Fowlers Live and support the music scene, it’s bloody good.