All credit to South East Radio and IMRO for supporting this battle of the bands as part of the Community Based Drugs Initiative in a packed alcohol-free venue where six local acts strutted their stuff.

The idea of asking each band to do a version of The Monkees’ ‘I’m A Believer’ was a smart move and the various interpretations on offer said much about the inventiveness or otherwise of each band.

The five-piece Beeker were the ultimate winners, their heavy guitar riffing owing a little to The Revs during ‘Daydream’, while the slow and solid ‘I Feel Love’ recalled the mainstream commerciality of Foreigner.

Runners-up were Red Lunacy, a cross between the Big Geraniums and The Waterboys. Their sound is often cluttered through having three instruments playing chords and a lone fiddle struggling to make a melody line cut through the mulch.

Third came Gorey’s Out Of Order. To all intents and purposes a straight guitar blues-rock combo, they scored points through the quality of their songs and the tight performance.

New Vegas (without their usual vocalist), My Invention and Slip Stream completed the bill. All told, a gig brimming with raw talent that augurs well for the resurgence of the local live rock scene.