Weekenders

The first band to kick off Heat 3 for the Emergenza season was ‘Weekenders.’ They brought a huge crowd to The Espy Basement; the place was so packed no one could move! They launched into opening track ‘Taken by the Heart’ which showed the band’s skill before going into the more upbeat and catchy ‘When I’m with You.’ The band then played a cover song which did get the crowd jumping but it was original material the punters came to hear. After a slower ballad the fifth song of the set got the crowd clapping along, a result of the band’s growing energy and confidence in each other. Dual lead vocalists Abbie and Nick had a great chemistry and lead guitarist Jonte had an infectious smile and you could tell he was enjoying himself! The final song of the set showed off the drummer’s mad skills with some very tight and tasty playing! A great start to the Weekend!

Flaxxon

Identical twins Flaxxon hit the stage with an ‘Evanescence’ song; which was a shame because this crowd was waiting to hear what these bright, bubbly, blonde curly haired girls could do! On guitar and vocals we had Yolanda and bass and vocals Yasmin. The duo were backed by some very fat sounding backing tracks that had the girl’s music style sitting somewhere between rock, pop and hip hop! Unfortunately all the songs the girls played turned out to be covers which, although they sounded good, isn’t really what the Emergenza Festival is about. Bass player Yasmin busted out quite a rap in the final song of the set which was impressive!

Heads and Hearts

Heads and Hearts were our first rock band of the night. They hit the stage with a huge sound that was uniquely their own but also bringing hints of bands such as ‘Creed’ and ‘Good Charlotte’. Drummer John’s playing was a standout of the band early as he guided Heads and Hearts in openers ‘Breaking Free’ and ‘Judas Kiss.’ Third song ‘Oceans’ came down a notch, but it was effective as it actually showed the quality of front man Paul’s vocals. The song turned into quite the epic tune and was the highlight of the set! ‘Stay with Me’ featured some nice vocals from all four boys as well as some tasty guitar licks from the lead guitarist. Heads and Hearts had a lot of energy on stage, none more so than in final song of the set ‘Rain,’ where they really amped it up and got right into it! These guys seemed to get better the longer their set went on and drew more and more people in, I’m sure they would have made some new fans after this performance! A rocking set from Heads and Hearts!

Le Fay

Le Fay took to the stage with an acapella piece which was an indigenous tune. Wow! Amazing! What a way to start a set and silence a room! You could hear a pin drop! Beautiful! Second song of the set had a bluesy feel to it while the third song had a more up vibe pop tempo. Le Fay’s set was filled with chilled folk, bluesy, pop tunes, but what really stood out were the beautiful voices and harmonies of the three girls up front from Jade, Kahla and Liz. Jade swooned through the set which had her adoring fans admiring every note! A dreamy set from Le Fay!

Haybax

Haybax could be the soundtrack for your 2014/15 upcoming summer! Sweet tunes that you would love to be cruising down the coast singing to! Not only that but you would love to be kicking back sipping on a few beers in the sun watching this powerful duo who, despite only having two members, make a full band sound due to the amazing percussion skills of Lachlan on the Cajun and various other percussion instruments! Jason has a beautiful vocal that reminds this listener of a ‘Bruno Mars’ sound but with a lot cooler chilled vibe! In a world full of Cajun players I would nearly go as far to say that Lachlan has actually perfected it with his unique style which was literally mind blowing! Third song of the set ‘Home’ was a real catchy number with its Aussie down under feel! ‘Nobody’s Home’ got the crowd involved with its clap along hook which is always good when the crowd gets into it! Final song of the set ‘Summertime’ featured some nice harmonica, a more up tempo tune that really got the crowd tapping their feet and some some great harmonies provided by Lachlan. A fun and catchy set from the cool Haybax!

Rabble Rouser

To end the night we had a set from five piece band Rabble Rouser. To describe this band is a difficult task. Hints of ‘The Doors’ in sound and stage antics are definitely present. Each song kind of melted into one another with the highlight of the set being fourth song ‘Statues,’ which was a slower more melodic and atmospheric tune. It also featured some quality vocals and backing vocals from Clancy and Stefan on guitars. An eclectic set from Rabble Rouser!