Review: USU Battle of the Bands

A war of wind, a skirmish of sounds, and a tussle of tunes.

The USU’s Battle of the Bands marvelled in tang. Five bands tuned their respective instruments and egos in what felt like a tertiary rendition of School of Rock. Ascending Manning’s prismatic staircase, I metamorphosed from mundane media girl to Band Hero NPC — fluorescent wristlet my only customisable feature. Attendees infiltrated the already slightly sticky dance floor in anticipation, awe, and ale. Outside, an abundance of Mexican street food decorated the deck. Scents of cilantro, corn, and cherry vapes varnished Manning Bar. Patrons made their way through the tap list as time began to tick. Brookvale Union Ginger Beer, ten minutes until the first act, Furphys, five minutes to go people, Bulmers, one minute everyone. Anxiously awaiting behind curtains and clouds of carbon were The Jam Sandwiches, Sonnet & The BreadBoys, No Snakes, Chuey, and The Bernies — ready to be reaped. Bright lights dimmed as bar lines dwindled. The battle was about to begin. 

The four fellows from The Jam Sandwiches certainly know how to create a splendid spread. Their set was both groovy and fruity; it was immediately evident the band excelled in their instrumental expertise. Sonic spotlights shone on each and every sound — illuminating an impressive ability to assiduously assemble a song. Bassist Phil Langshaw was something fantastical on the four strings. Melodic movements accompanied solos from drummer Gabe Haslam which transcended expectations. While both boys came from jazz backgrounds, it was apparent the intricacy of influences in the bandmates. Backstage they spoke on these idiosyncratic influences — British rock group Pink Floyd being the only common denominator. Motivated by a motley of musical genres the group produced a psychedelic, punk, and pop paradigm. Describable only as something sought straight from the Shrek soundtrack, they were absurdly awesome. 

Adorned in aprons were Sonnet & The BreadBoys. Audience members were immediately enthralled by their allure. It is impossible to deny a commendation to carbs — this became increasingly evident as their set ensued. Lead vocalist Sweet Boy Sonnet captivated crowds with her charm and eccentric energy — audience members were left mesmerised by melodic movement. Appreciating the audacious energy on stage I pondered who this act resembled. Speaking with Sweet Boy Sonnet, she identified muses in poets Kae Tempest and T.S. Eliot as well as rock bands The Police and Queens of the Stone Age. It was a cocktail of chaos, but, once shaken, became a sensational spectacle. Feminine ferocity, vivacious vocals, and men in uniform. Nope, there is nothing quite like Sonnet & The BreadBoys. An essence so entirely original feels fresh — like a warm and wonderful loaf of bread.

Not to be confused with the reptilian population of Ireland, No Snakes is a homage to the importance of ensuring nobody snatches your seat. This neglected to be necessary as audience members stood swaying in a sea of docs and delight. Javier Ardino had the crowd clutching their hearts and Young Henry’s with alluring lyricism. His vocals were sonically silvery and utterly enviable. The ability to enamour with words unbeknownst demonstrates exceptional artistry — a rare talent indeed — and their ability to encapsulate an emotion on stage only evolved with each tune. At times I felt as though they were reading directly from my journal — not cool btw. Louella Gallop drummed the heartbeat of the ballads with gusto as Marcus Barr and Louis Cook strummed along. Effortlessly exceptional and entirely encapsulating feels the only suitable summary for No Snakes. 

I would like to volunteer as a triangle player just to engage in the extraordinary ensemble that is Chuey. With eight people on stage, and several instruments you’d assume sonic sensory overload — and oh how wrong you would be. The band blended smoothly together like Lurpak — AKA luxurious butter. I presume percussionist Matthew Ling is secretly operating with extra limbs. Playing everything from triangles and tambourines to bells and bongos— I felt I had entered my music teacher's fantasy. Leah Berry bedazzled the stage with her vocals with KT Nyunt as the beautiful background vocalist. Smiles in the crowd were so candid you could tell who had and hadn’t flossed — it was a marvellous sight. There was such genuine camaraderie within the group. It translated directly into the talent of their tunes and the reception of the audience. Any synonym of spectacular summarises the skill on that stage. Watching Chuey is how it feels to chew 5 Gum.

I don’t believe there was a single moment The Bernie’s frontman had both feet planted on the stage — Benji absolutely bewildered the audience and it was bloody brilliant. Performing in suave suits and with hair longer than mine, the onstage energy was electric. With Gigzy on rhythm, Angus at the bass, and Lachlan drumming in the distance — the crowd was captivated. Overpriced spirits splashed in the mosh as the band bantered into ballads. Truly talented and unassumingly extraordinary. So extraordinary that I enjoyed the refreshment of their presence more than the spilled Furphy on my suit — which was the result of Benji’s mosh run-through. Tenacious D would be proud of their performance. It was rock, it was radical, and it was real.

Artists packed away their instrumental ammunition as the battle ended. Battle of the Bands alum The Jezabels headlined the event during deliberations. Hayley Mary is sophisticated in style and astounding in her sound. Special shoutout to their performance of their tune ‘Easy to Love’ — RIP Sammy you would’ve loved Manning Bar. Alas, anticipation ended as the announcement of the victor arose. Colossal congratulations are due to Chuey for their well-deserved win and phenomenal performance, and a special shoutout to No Snakes for an impressive runner-up. Dewey Finn would be oh so impressed.