Chained Lizard

Chained Lizard were the first band to hit The Espy Basement stage in heat 7! A big drum set up was matched with an equally big sound! The opener ‘Baby Maybe’ was a ripping tune to kick off with and featured a huge guitar solo from John as well as major double kick from Chris on drums. ‘Here Tonight’ was anthem-like with it powerful chorus backed by all the boys on vocals. ‘Rock N Roll’ was the highlight of the set and it is when lead singer Amy really started to show some of her stage craft with great moves and stage presence! Final song ‘Falling for You’ was a great way to finish the set! A young band off the chain!

Beneath Tomorrow's Sun

This young band took to the stage with plenty of energy and they were backed by a loyal following of fans! An impressive solo by Adam in the middle of first track ‘Falling Down’ showed some great use of the wah wah pedal. ‘Exorcist’ was a highlight with it’s syncopated chorus and matching energy. The boys finished with a Rage Against the Machine song which seemed to please the crowd to a degree. Youthful energy and passion from Beneath Tomorrow's Sun!

Ruckus
 
By name by nature, these guys know how to throw a hoe-down party and create one hell of a ruckus at the same time! They started with an Aussie Classic in Paul Kelly's ‘Dumb Things’ before tearing into one of their own. This is when their loyal following felt right at home and the boot scooting started to come out! A banjo was thrown into the mix by lead man Mick for the third song and the stomp was on with a solid kick drum leading the way. A massive chorus ensued with all three boys up front hitting the mics to lead a haunting chant that filled the room and everyone got involved in! This was a highlight of the set! The fun was being had everywhere; not only on the stage but off it as well throughout the room! An original take on an old classic was a great way to finish the set! Ruckus are the first full blown country band to play with us for some time and it was an absolute pleasure to listen to them!

The National Evening Express

Playing punchy full on rock style anthems is what The National Evening Express do. They give it their all and inspire their loyal fans in doing so, with the crowd chanting along to many of their tunes! This was no more apparent than in the song ‘Bright Lights.’ ‘It Ain't Real’ was a riff driven tune that was nearly like heavy country in its guitar and snare drum playing style.

Jumpbox

Jumpbox are a rock concept band based on Marvel comics. They feature an energetic front man in Chris who has killer rock vocals and is backed by a tight band that also provides solid backing harmonies. ‘Rattlesnake’ and ‘Hold Me’ were highlights of the set! Some interesting use of props towards the end of the set had the crowd not knowing where to look for a solid closer in ‘Vibrator Rider.’ An all action set from Jumpbox!

Headless

One of the tightest bands of the night was heavy metal act Headless. Although they lost their bass player days before the show it didn't detract from the band giving it their all! Some embarrassing on stage banter didn't win the band any fans, blaming backline technical difficulties after their second song for a delay, although it was the drummers own snare giving him trouble. Fourth song of the set was a slower screaming song which drew some crowd in.