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"Tonight's Semi-Final Rock Contest"

We didn't win.
Surprising really, seeing as these things are always rent-a-crowd. Doesn't matter how you play, get loads of mates down to vote for you and Voila!

A win.

So we roll up at 6pm, unload and set-up, watching another band doing their business all wearing baggy-skate shorts and baseball caps - the requisite nu-metal uniform.
Their drummer sits down and starts to bash out some cheesy rock pattern, double-kick etc and really wants to impress.
We all look at each other and think "Ok, here we go then" and ignore.

We draw 1st on, which means we're the only band to get a soundcheck, just as well seeing as we have a keyboard and a sax to balance, and then sit and talk to those that came to see us.
9pm rolls around and we go up there, start with "Saints & Cynics" and proceed to play right over and through the little 14yr old rock kids standing there drinking hooch and newkie brown.
Finish our set, pack up and sit down to watch Limp Bi..sorry, whatever they were called.
They start, with a bad sign:

Singer has cordless mic
Bass player has cordless bass

So the singer is in the Bermuda Triangle (that strange semi-circle of no-mans land in front of the stage for a requisite 8ft) and the bass player is there as well, spinning about and leaping like a fool.
They do their thing, bass player spins and knocks someone's pint over.

Here's a hint for nu-metal bands: if the music is aggressive, don't clown around, treat rock with respect and rage for your set.
People walked out, leaving just their mates.
Who voted for them and they won, despite being laughably derivative of every jock-rock band you can think of.

Ah well, I got play and that's what matters

Shame to hear about that misfortune goaty, but then a battle of the bands comp is by no means a road to prosperity in music. It's simply a very fake way of looking good.

Remember those stickers that you'd get after walking out of the dentist? I'd rather have one of them than win a BOTB.

Jumpy annoying children with guitars taller than themselves will soon learn that jumping must be supported by ability, otherwise you look like a demented flea minus talent.

I just got back from London trying out for a new band, who've been going for 8 years and are the coolest thing I've heard in ages from an unsigned outfit. Funky, soul, jazz, it's got everything a bass player (like me) needs.

I hope I get in, otherwise I think I'll just stick on some baggy trousers and play knackered old metal songs whilst banging my head against the ceiling (I'm over 6 foot).

But my worry is that for all this soul and funk which I love, the band will in turn lose support simply because people would rather jump around looking stupid.

JK wouldn't agree, but he just about managed to catch the last of the funk movement before it died out. It's 2001 now, so what chance does a jazz band have?

Either way, I've also got a trial for a "melodic rock" band, who are much easier to get to, and plenty more willing to take on an 'amateur', but it's just not where I really want to be. Drummer is apparently 'la bollaaks' though, which is always a good thing.

I find the best way to judge a drummer is how wet his/her shirt gets, and how long they spend in casualty for damaged wrists and hands.

Nah, I'm only saying that to please the Goat man. I actually think the best drummers are the ones who can spin their sticks round and not drop them.

I bet he can do that as well.........hmmmmm........

We knew we were going to lose, we didnt even realise we won the 1st round, had no idea it was a competition.

But it was a bit shocking to see someone playing so badly win simply due to mates voting in droves.

Limp Bizkit...I can't stand Fred Durst.
Simply because "my generation"...um..Fred, you're 31 mate. Most of your generation have families and mortgages and work for a living.
But the majority of L.B fans are 14-18..go figure.

And he's a millionaire head of Interscope records, so how alternative is that?
He is the same as Geffen and Ovitz, just wears a baseball cap.

The best thing about Limp Bizkit is the campaign someone has launched to save their guitarist, Wes, from his atrocious band mates.

The sad irony of Fred Durst singing about how troubled his life has been is that he was probably one of the jocks who picked on the scrawny kids at school anyway. Limp Bizkit could be classed as sell outs but they never really had anything to sell out did they? At least Korn sold out in style.

The reason limp bizkit sell records is because they get themselves on to radio stations and get their songs aired. They once bought advertising space on one radio station so that between every three songs instead of the American equivalent of Coldseal Window Ads, they played Nookie. If American radio is anything like British local radio then that was at least every 10 minutes. Bands like Limp Bizkit are the very definition of the word bad. Also their media-domination is stopping other vastly more talented bands from coming through.

Still Goatboy should find some solace in the fact that spotty 14-year old Durst wannabes with cordless instruments will never support Haven. Unless haven had been unable to secure a talented stand-up comedian as their support, in which case these guys would have been more than suitable replacements...

Strange, I've had exactly the same experience on Monday night at the Cavern in Exeter.

...from and audience point of view though.

The first band on didn't exactly suck, they were just so mediocre that you could fall asleep while they were playing the loudest song possible.

The second band were fantastic. Which was surprising as they had a female vocalist. Now, I'm not against women singing, most do a perfect job, but there's something about most female rock and metal vocalists that make me and many other people cringe. Only a few pull it off. This one was different, fantastic song writing, singing and great guitarist too.

Third band were good, worth listening to and full of energy. They really sounded like they were enjoying the experience, but channelling all their energy into the music. Not quite as good as the second band, but still up there.

So who won? The band that played first. Why? 6th form groupies followed them in when they played, voted, then formed a mass exodus when their band (the FIRST band to play) finished their set. Now forgive me if I'm being short sighted, but how can you take votes based on a load of people that don't even stick around to hear the other (better) bands?

Oh well, one day they might have a better system. Meanwhile, I just hope that the other bands get a lucky break somewhere else.

Unlucky

I love nu-metal

JOKE JOKE JOKE




JOKE

:D

I saw them support Soulfly when I didn't know who they were.
They were ok in a loud white-blokes rapping kind of way and the "Faith" song was funny.

But Fred Durst? He can't rap for toffee.
And anyone thinks he's talented, go check out Redman, The Gza, Blade, Roots Manuhva, Ghost Face Killer...

The music is ok, but I just can't stomach Fred Durst.

So you like 'Three Dollar Bill Y'all' but not 'Significant Other'?

I didn't say they were bad, but I can't see them having a lasting career. They *did* define a sound with 'Significant Other', even if it's not really my thing, but it's up to them now to prove they aren't one trick ponies.

Come on guys! Limp Bizkit arent all that bad. The first album is cool, and just because they went mainstream it doesnt mean they are rubbish, it means that they have developed their songwriting skills so that their style of music is more accessable to a wider audience.

Yep.

Was funny to watch them though, they were energetic and bouncing around.
But I just kept thinking "thissucksthissucksthissucks"

Let's face it, probably a bunch of chimps playing down tuned riffs would have won. Nothing to do with talent, just what's popular.

Try again next year when Limp Bizkit are have had their 15 minutes... :-)