Heat 3

The search for the area’s best new talent continued apace at The Venue in Preston with the Lancashire Evening Post supported Battle of the Bands now at its third heat. Quality in abundance may not have been reflected in the initially sparse crowd but the four bands filled the gaps in the audience with enough noise to compensate...and maybe even require compensation for temporary loss of hearing.

The techno kids of Myth Of Unity have a knowing confidence, their ambitious set throwing out rap/rock crossovers wrapped in bright neon lights. With apparent ease the dual vocalists played off each other with rave interpretations of the humble mic battle ripped to shreds.

If the “toasting” Unity crowd had it all to lose, the lads from 1.21 Gigawatts fought very hard as a comparatively quieter band. Their inoffensive rock spun interesting lyrics without a melodic hook to attract much attention, the nice character hidden beneath an earnest seriousness.

With their compelling if somewhat meandering set, Goonies Never Die were a complex bunch to decipher, all post-rock guitars layered with woven melodies, the lads were friendly without instant connection.

Their expansive set followed For Your Information, whose mix of rock styles had a particular charm, even though their songs appeared as slightly altered versions of the same generic source.

Totting up the votes, the judges awarded second round places to, acronym fans, GND and MOU.