The Scissors, The Running Mayfairs, The Scene Is
Dead and Villa Savoye Following the success of the first heat of the annual Cambridge band competition was always going to be a difficult task, but one that was entirely achievable, as bands from the local music scene once again rose forth and took to the stage of The Soul Tree to chase the desirable prizes and be crowned winners of the Cambridge band competition 2009. Performances from the previous heat saw numerous delays in proceedings, as a number of bands were overcome by the stresses of excessive practice, resulting in fatigued strings, lost microphones, and splintering drum sticks; such is the enthusiasm of the competitors. Unsurprisingly, such incidents arose throughout the second heat, but with the bands primary focus on the array of glimmering musical doubloon, not even a broken guitar string could stand in the way of potential fame and fortune for one lucky band. The Running Mayfairs were a strong band that many have heard peripherally, but for reasons unknown remain relatively unheard of on the Cambridge circuit when sharing a bill with the likes of previous acts such as Sensible fun and The Perfect Crime. With odds seemingly stacked against them, this humble yet confident collection create a musical landscape that relentlessly shifts from choppy layered guitars and a technically demanding rhythm section, to emotive bass driven rock songs that appeal to anyone with a palette for contemporary music. With the vocalist sharing rhythm guitar duties, the passion that radiated around the endearing front man was to such recognition that his impassioned jerky stage antics encouraged heads to bob in synch around the venue, creating a visible wave of enthusiastic approval among audience members and peers.
A band that owns potential by the bucket load, and a live show to match, be sure to follow this band on their journey to the bright lights of the mainstream. After making their way onto the stage, The Scene Is Dead
delivered every song on the set list with a cocky swagger, deservedly
owned by the band with the biggest following of the evening. The climbing
crescendo of the opener was of a grand scale, and when the introduction
peaked, a notable relief played across the crowd. Rarely does a 5-piece sound as epic as their potential will allow them, but The Scene Is Dead is one very special exception; for a scene thats dead, it has fondly encouraged the spawning of this exceptional live band, and not a single viewer reached the climax of their set without allowing a wicked smile to play across their face. Battling minor sound problems from the offset, the respectable persistence of Villa Savoye had the audience captivated from the beginning of their set.
The wall of power that is created by this trio is unrivalled by many others on the bill at this stage of the competition, and a newly found fan base was so surely discovered, as the confidence and conviction in which the band played earned them one of the largest applauses of the night. Aesthetically, there was always going to be one band that stood out from the sizeable crowd, and they perform under the guise of The Scissors. Comparable to Panic at the disco! due to their apparent involvement in the revival of Parisian theatricality, but resounding within the boundaries of a far more credible genre, The Scissors were as endearing as they come. They had the strongest songs of the heat, when originality, crowd response and the tightness with which they played were considered, and when accompanied by the atmosphere created by the band, made for an irresistible live show, that when performed on a bigger stage, would feel at home within the boundaries of a stage production. The Scissors were the most popular band to play thus far in the heat, eventually winning the beer cheer and overall on points.
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