Night Friend

Kicking off heat four at Sydney's 'The Lair' was four piece indie pop band Night Friend. They brought with them a supportive group of fans who watched eagerly as the band swooned its way through a set of atmospheric and spacey original tunes. Everybody in the band held their own and played their chosen instrument very well. A little more energy on stage would make this act more memorable. The second track of the set was the highlight with some nice backing vocals from the boys. The lead guitarist made terrific use of some nice guitar effects and played a beautiful solo in the third track! The bass player is very solid and clever in her playing! An intriguing set from Night Friend.

Ryse

Second act for the night was four piece indie physc rockers ‘Ryse’ who also had a very large fan base come to check out their show in the lair! The band is well lead by charismatic front man Ellis who is very engaging and captivates the audience. A little more work on voice projection would give more impact from this front man. The boys on electric and bass guitars provide very nice sounds for the band to work with utilizing a host of effects pedals. Final song of the set ‘Staging Lies’ brought the whole crowd to the front for some serious dancing and Ellis now had the crowd in the palm of his hand! A band on the Ryse!


Balladeere

An acoustic indie folk theme was about to take place with our next two bands. One of these acts was Balladeere, who blended jazz and folk styles with modern sampling to create a unique sound. The Lair had a huge crowd and unfortunately Jake's gentle singing voice got somewhat lost against the crowd noise, so some future work on stage craft and engaging with a crowd would bring an audience in to respect the beautiful sounds these guys were bringing to the room. Some more work is needed in the rehearsal rooms to make this act more suited to the live scene, but the concept is there and it is a good one!

Desert Sparrow

Desert Sparrow brought a massive crowd to the lair for their show and immediately impressed with opening track ‘One too many’ which had a nice up tempo vibe. They took it down for a couple of tracks with some nice piano work over the top of Dave’s solid acoustic rhythm playing. Kylie has a very strong vocal and works hard at trying to bring the crowd in. A little more stage energy and craft from the entire band though could see them go to the next level!

Bonfire Bison

Young up and coming band Bonfire Bison got up to play their original tunes next. The boys played with a lot of passion and heart but just lacked a bit of polish, something that comes with more experience so hopefully this was one they can learn from and push on.

Dime

Our first real rock band of the night was Dime who brought an international line up to the stage and brought an awesome rock sound with them! The band had very well written and constructed songs that reminded this listener of 'Audioslave' especially front man Leigh’s vocal. The band seemed to get better the longer the set went on, or maybe they were just growing in confidence and it was coming out in their playing, either way their fans were totally rocking out and loving every minute!

Order 66

Hip hop and electronica duo Order 66 rounded out heat four on the lair stage and with it brought killer rhymes and fat sounds! They impressed with their music and with their stage craft, delivering a diverse set of music and lyrics that drew from observations of life. It was the perfect way to finish the night with everybody enjoying the set and Order 66 winning many new fans on the night!