Last night I decided to go and visit the Emergenza team in Pittsburgh, which was part of the first round of finals across North America. I was welcomed in the backstage VIP area and found it totally amusing that the staff were keeping close contact, via various internet gadgetry, with the other gig finals happening in Milwaukee, Nashville and Buffalo. During the course of the night I was chatting to my colleagues from the press via Internet saying “our 2 cent''s worth” on the 56 bands competing in the 4 cities. To my surprise, we found that these 4 American “overlooked” cities had something to rival the bigger ones. I think that A&R and music scouts that are used to bigger “stomping grounds” should get out more to unbeaten tracks to see that there really is a great scene in the small cities. The gig in Pittsburgh was kicked off at Mr. Small's, an old 19th century Catholic Church turned into a rock venue (cool as f***, I must say) with a band called SEGUE. A cross between prog rock and very beautiful atmospheres all blended together. They still need to “grow” but certainly an interesting group. Second band is The ANCY FACTOR. If R&R will never die, punk will always be there at its side. Young men with a potent mix of energy and positive attitude. A “gust of refreshing wind” that even cities like NY and London need. The third band is SPLIT SCREEN. Ladies and Gentlemen: a real phenomenon of raw power and great stage presence. You should have seen the singer crawling up to the speakers up 15 feet and jumping into the crowd with as much confidence as we have when ordering a Gin and Tonic. This band is tight, solid, very entertaining and with so much energy that they could sell some and get rich. One of the best bands I''ve seen in months. Next up, band number 4. DAVENPORT. They have a tough act to follow but they still come out with “no bruises”. These boys'' rock and they are good. They belong to the same school of rock as their previous fellow rockers so they have no problem in showing that. Fifth band: LIFE''S LIKE THIS. Their atmosphere is more pop rock. A great singer and the best bass player seen so far. Good approach and tight playing but lacked in the arrangements department. Next on stage there''s KAY. An interesting 3 piece plus singer combo. A good rock outfit. Sounds of good old American whisky bar rock that I''ve grown accustom to love (even if tonight it was bud light for me). At 9 pm the next band is ready. How the hell do these people keep perfect timing and run a show so smooth it still baffles me. So the band comes out and there it is: 3 soldiers of rock and roll. They look like 3 bikers and play their set like a biker would just cruise down the freeway with their “beloved”. They had fun on stage and (as we, on the VIP balcony) so did the crowd that got a good dose of old fashion r&r. The night would not have been complete without a band that blends cultures in this great nation of yours (I should have told you I''m from the far, far away land). Lifted took the stage and taught us a lesson in hip hop, with an acoustic guitar, a bass player with more groove in his balls than most people I know and a drummer that was fantastic (to say the least). They were accompanied by vocals with feel and passion. These boys were the kings of the stage. The performance can be summed up by one of the colleagues on the VIP Judge panel who said: “This is worth the price of the ticket” (reasonable I must add. You should get to London). A radical change and we have a metal band on stage. Classic 100% pure bred American metal. A singer that commands the set and guitars cranking tones that everybody can appreciate. Loud, proud and heavy. I personally like metal as much as a visit to the dentist but the fact that I''m raving about them means that they are bloody good. While the team get the next band set up we have a surprise…Vinnie Ferguson from the X (105.9X fm) jumps on stage. Really, tonight was a fantast