SIX OF THE BEST

On Friday 24th April six bands will take to the stage at the Temple Bar Music Centre in Dublin to compete in the final of the Bacardi Hot Press Unplugged Band of the Year Competition. With a prize package valued at over #15,000 the stakes will be high and the rivalry fierce, as each of them vie desperately to come out on top and walk away with the booty that could transform their career.
It goes without saying that the successful finalists Hooky, Asterix, Beach, Shallow, Lucidian and The McCluskeys are already winners in their own right, each having triumphed in their respective regional finals. But this is the big one, the Premiership Title, the Grande Prix and the Gold Medal of band competitions and it s the one they ve all been aiming towards over the past few months.
1998 is the fourth successful year of Bacardi Hot Press Unplugged and the most successful to date. Following an initial entry of over 300 tapes, thirty bands were chosen to take part in the regional finals which were staged before a panel of judges in venues as far apart as Cork, Belfast, Dublin, Limerick and Galway. From those thirty, the six finalists emerged, many of them scraping through on the slimmest of margins, the voting being so tight on occasions.
For the lucky band who come up trumps at the Temple Bar Music Centre on the night of the final, the rewards will be many. The prize fund alone should make life immeasurably easier for whoever comes out on top. The winners will receive #1,000 in cash, three days recording time in Homestead studios, a day s filming from Windmill Lane Pictures, a distribution deal with Grapevine, a Tascam home recording unit from Music Maker, a full PR package, consultations with music industry experts and, wait for it . . . an exclusive Hot Press interview!
Apart from the above listed embarrassment of riches there will be numerous other benefits accruing to the winning band in the immediate aftermath of the final. The huge media attention that will be visited upon them means they can also expect to receive hitherto unimagined coverage in the local and national press, radio and TV. Following this they should have little problem in securing high profile gigs and they may well find themselves coming under the spotlight of several major record companies.
It s not the winning but the taking part that counts. OK, so it s a hoary old cliche and little comfort to the five bands who don t win on the night.
But for all six finalists, the Bacardi Hot Press Unplugged Final will be a rare opportunity to parade their talents before an adjudicating panel of makers and shakers from the top echelons of the Irish music industry, including key record company personnel, DJ s, radio programmers, journalists, music publishers, PR and marketing people. Rarely are so many influential industry honchoes gathered together in one room and it s an opportunity not to be sneezed at.
But who are the bands that will compete at the Temple Bar Music Centre and how did they get this far? Cork based outfit Hooky were the first of the six to be catapulted into this years finals. Featuring Bobby Lee, Mike Lyons, Arty Lorrigan and Roy O Driscoll in their line-up, they describe themselves, not immodestly, as bittersweet hellraisers with a country shuffle, combining lush harmony, profoundly inventive guitar playing and legendary drumming with great songs.
On the night they impressed the judges at UCC (who included legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience bass player Noel Redding), they were described by Hot Press as purveying tightly arranged songs bathed in sharp Beatlesque harmonies.
It was at the first Dublin heat in Whelan s that Beach made it through to the final. Together for over five years they are better known in their guise as Beatles covers band par excellence The Quarrymen. They were noted on the night for their strong Welleresque vocalist, and gritty melodies with sneaky harmonies.
The Northern Regional Final at the University of Ulster in Jordanstown Co Antrim was one of the highlights of Bacardi Unplugged 98 not least due to the huge crowd who turned out on the night. After a rivetting night s entertainment Maghera 4-piece Asterix emerged as winners. Described as magnificent in a low-key, understated kind of way with shades of Lou Reed, Nick Cave and Tindersticks in the vocals department, they ve already released one successful single Laura Loves and should be worthy contenders at the final.
Leixlip outfit Shallow were the successful band to come through the Limerick regional final which was held at the famed Doc s Bar in The Granary. Hot Press said of them that they were Clearly influenced by the best of Britpop, a strong, passionate vocalist was their main strength, though the songs, particularly the dramatic Up To You , were also convincing while one number even dealt with the controversial Hepatitis C issue.
Shallow have released two singles to date, toured extensively and were also winners of the Bank of Ireland/Sony Rock & Pop Challenge 97.
The penultimate regional final at The College Bar in UCG Galway saw Dubliners Lucidian come through with flying colours. Could these guys be the natural heirs to Radiohead s throne? asked Hot Press. Their decidedly naff moniker apart, they were a veritable powerhouse, with truly awesome and dynamic songs. Incidentally so impressed was the Student Ents officer with just their sound check performance on the night that they were invited back to do a full gig in May!
The last of this years regional finals took place at Fitzsimons Bar in Temple Bar Dublin and the winners (reaching the finals for the second year in a row) were Dublin/Meath combo The McCluskeys. Their performance in last year s final was said to consist of sharp, gloriously melodic pop in the Beatles/Housemartins vein and a neat line in self-deprecating lyrics. A year later they were described as improving by leaps and bounds, their classic guitar pop and sixties harmonies combining to create a distinctive, highly accessible sound (despite far too many references to sheep!)
So there you have it. Six of the best (and not a Christian Brother in sight!). But joking apart, the standard of talent on offer at this years Bacardi Hot Press Unplugged final is the best yet. So it looks like we re in for one of the most memorable nights of nail-biting entertainment ever seen. Doors open at 8.00 get there early! n