The Run

Heat three had arrived in Melbourne and the night had a theme of bands coming to the city from down the highway. The Run were one of these bands that had travelled up from Geelong to play at the famous Espy. They kicked off the night in style with a set of acoustic pop rock tracks that reminded this listener of a 'Panic! At the disco' style. The songs are very well written and very catchy. Drummer Will had broke his leg just days before the show and not just any leg but his kick drum leg! He didn't let that worry him though and the show went on with Will using his left leg instead and even busting out a drum solo in their final song! An impressive set from The Run!

Chapter Ray

One of the most polished sets of the night came from four piece melodic rockers Chapter Ray. As soon as they began their opener it immediately got everyone's attention. The clever use of backing tracks added to the songs and gave them an atmospheric and epic sound. Final song of the set was a highlight with its acoustic Ballad nature and the crowd joining in for the signing of the chorus which was a great ending to a very well constructed set!

No Stairway

Wow! These guys know how to get the party started! No Stairway has a great vocalist in front man James who also has a huge stage presence and loves the front man role! He is surrounded by cool sax, a great guitar tone, incredible bass groove and solid drumming. This band was a real surprise packet and they could achieve anything. They played a mix of soul, jazz, rock and even had some heavy metal influences. A band to watch out for!

Zain Mitchlan

Zain Mitchlan and his band brought a huge crowd to the espy basement for their show and they didn't let their fans down playing some impressive original tunes. Unfortunately the guys played a few to many covers early as I’m sure the crowd was really there to see their original material. It will be a good idea in future rounds when possibly performing in front of the judges to focus on building a set of original material and maybe a cover with an original twist. Zain has a great charisma on stage and a natural energy which makes it easy for a crowd to connect with him. With this natural approach to live performing Zain Mitchlan and his band could have big things ahead!


The Anti Fall Movement

The Anti Fall Movement took to the stage without much fuss and swayed through a set of soft pop folk tunes. The guys obviously enjoy playing music on stage together which was great to see.

City at Midnight

City at Midnight came for a drive up the highway from Geelong to Melbourne and made an instant impact with their very well written and arranged original songs. City at Midnight have a sound that is hard to pigeonhole, it is kind of prog rock with a cleaner edge which makes it slightly more commercial. Everyone in the band is very talented and shows great skill in their playing, particularly Justin on the drums who is very solid. Josh on guitar makes great use of effects like delay in his playing. Final song of the set ‘Alone with you’ was a real highlight with its up tempo beats and was where the band seemed most comfortable on stage! A great set from City at Midnight!

White Van Army

The most interesting set of the night came from one man loop station and acoustic wielding act White Van Army. Continuous looping of guitar layers upon guitar layers then allowed him to move to the drums where he played some beats and sang. It wasn’t polished but it was heartfelt.