Chucky’s River were first up, and they delivered a punchy set that has elements of metalsome blues plus a Dr Feelgood edge. Damien Walsh is a gritty guitar player and Cupie’s vocals were ideally gutsy for a pub venue. ‘This Ship’ is a fiery crowd-pleaser, while ‘The Very Same’ showcases their slower, more melodic side, and they slotted in a cheeky version of Perez Prado’s ‘Guaglione’
from the famous Guinness TV commercial.

Issue 72 clicked in from the off with ‘She Doesn’t Know’. Their vocal sound and melodic thrust has aspects of The Doors, and there’s more subtlety and variety in their set than of yore. They finished on a high too, with ‘Caught In A Trap’ and a neat makeover of Johnny Cash’s song ‘Folsom Prison Blues’. But when the tally men totted up the text votes, Chucky’s River were deemed elected to go forward to round two at the same venue on August 5.