Heat 3 got on the way Wednesday 13th.....The first of the two April gigs back to back kicked off Wednesday with some great rock and roll.

Sydney does have some great bands as we’re about to find out. The Metro in Sydney is a spectacular venue and it makes it all worthwhile when you go see some unsigned rock bands. the scene is still healthy and the punters are true live music fans……thank fuck for them.

JAGGED STONE

Simply rock. and what’s best than not trying to be anything else but true to your roots? Great songwriting and a front man with a good presence. The guy was interacting with the crowd and knows his business. Super confident. This band is very entertaining and polished. A note should be said about the front guy who actually had a broken arm and could not play guitar like he usually does…..the show must go on. Indeed. They are living proof that nothing can stop rock and roll.

WORSELEY

A retro sounding synth pop band. Great sounds, good ideas and presence on stage but perhaps could have done with more energy (maybe the rock bands could teach them) because considering that they were very entertaining to watch and listen to they could have won over more fans than they actually did (and that they did because people were genuinely interested). A good use of backing tracks and terrific dance moves…..overall very good

BREAKING THE WAVES

this was a band that I feel needed a few rehearsals. Playing punk rock is in itself an act of anarchy and rebellion so practice is non existent you may thing but what we’ve learned over the years is that punk is the most disciplined of all genres of music and so it needs to be played to perfection (some may disagree of course) the guitars were a bit of of tune but the energy was there. They are young and will certainly get better with time because time is exactly what they need. At least they have the right attitude.

SWAMP

Swamp s a rock band with loads of energy Some classic and some progressive rock in place here with great songwriting structure and conviction. These boys made the finals a couple of years back and are back to have another stab at it. They are far better than a couple of years ago and the band is much more eclectic. I give them 10 out of 10 for energy and show. These guys are ready. If you are going to be watching an original rock band from Sydney, this should be the one.

CAUSEWAY CONNECT

This is an alternative funky rock band with good skill and a great guitarist. Perhaps a little less polished and professional than the previous band but still confident enough to go all the way. Drummer was the lead singer which is interesting because you don’t get to see this every day and is an original element which in my opinion works in their favour. They eventually got the crowd on their side which is never easy. They managed. They are confident enough but perhaps a few more rehearsals would do them good. Still, they’ve only been together a few weeks and they are doing vey well. Worth a look. 

DOKO

This band we can only describe as a “the child of john mayer and the Police”. They are simply brilliant song writers and there’s no more you can say about that. When you have the tunes you are 90% there. This is Sydney beach music. This is what you get when you play psychedelic blues mixed with funk rock. A wonderful concoction. One of a few guitarists we’ve seen the last few weeks that knows how to use all the effects without any pretence. 

DIMENSIONS

A metal core band that needs to get a few more practices and some songwriting sessions. As far as the energy level on stage is concerned, they are a full 10 but sometimes you need to have an idea on songwriting. Nothing to say about the skills. They are there but the guitarist perhaps needs to tweak his tone a bit and that will help with the sound. As I said plenty of energy and that showed when the live show did get a lot of rock fans involved and that is the main thing so they understand what it takes.

AMAMMOTH

The bass player from this band was superb but they need more public interaction in general. They are doom metal and I understand it’s hard to relate to the public but they should make an effort in between songs. Still, it looked like they were having fun themselves and that was a positive thing. They were last on so it is always hard to entertain a bunch of tired rock fans. Still, good players and good effort.



And so these were the bands that rocked the stage. Perhaps I have been a bit hard in the critique but the objective is to make sure we help the bands by being honest. They were all amazing and this proves that the Sydney rock music scene is alive and well but it also means that some need more rehearsal than others. No big deal......It's just rock and roll.

Rock Maestro