SPROG are a four-piece funk/rock band based in Galway. They’ve been together since August 1993 and this demo entitled Scratch’n’Sniff, a six-tracker, was recorded late last year. The tape opens with the title track and it’s a poppy, groovy three minutes. The band are joined by saxophonist Steve Hanks whose magnificent contributions light up an already excellent track. The band play very well together and have absolutely no problem nailing down the funky groove.

‘Ernie’s Ball’ kicks in after a semi-acoustic intro with a punchy, walking bassline and a marvellous melody and indeed vocal performance from singer Tom Pyne. ‘Bitter Sweet’ is a funky pop concoction. This excellent track is only slightly marred by otherwise inventive bassist Ross Rooney’s overuse of the slapping technique. ‘Machine Gun’ is your full-blown power ballad. It’s an extremely competent, if not totally original stab at the genre. ‘Unisexual’ is another slab of funk/rock. Steve Hanks guests once more bringing a fuller dimension to the sound. The tape ends with ‘Tempted’ which was recorded live. This resigned love song is played with beautiful restraint by the band and must be something of a live favourite. Good stuff but not original enough to be considered brilliant.

Rawhead Rex is the combination of two musical partnerships, one half from the Midlands in England, the other from Belfast. The group who are based in Coventry formed in September 1993 and this is a three-song demo entitled Frightened. The title track opens and it’s a strange mixture of styles with singer/lyricist, David West’s have-a-go delivery backed by a shuffley guitar and boppy rhythm. Track two ‘Each Voice’ is indeed exactly that – thirteen seconds of somebody talking about who cares what! ‘X4Reel’ has a good melody (I’ll go to hell for lying!) and a kind of trashy background that reminds me of some of the Clash’s earlier moments. All in all, a strange, unusual sound that could develop into something fascinating – or not!

The smashing Godsuit, a four-piece Dublin-based band are once again assaulting our senses with their Sinus demo. ‘Yourself’ opens the proceedings in fine aggressive form. A magnificent vocal performance from Anthony Hind and a supremely rocking track add up to another stormer in the Godsuit cannon. The rhythm section of Ciaran Melia (bass) and Damon Allen (drums) is, if this be possible, even slicker and tighter than before while Neil Murphy’s guitar mercilessly hammers the great driving riffs. ‘Half The Man’ comes in on a sinister looping bassline. Then comes the killer riff. The chorus is wildly anthemic and Allen’s double kick drumming is excellent. The groups’ intelligent use of build-up, stops and pauses really drives the power home. ‘Your Way’ shows guitarist Murphy’s intimate knowledge of Jimmy Page’s riff catalogue. Marry this to the adrenaline rush of the Chili Pepper-like delivery and you have the essence of Godsuit. Tape closer ‘Unwind’ find Godsuit in a more experimental mode. The familiar thrust of the verses lead into a more restrained, thoughtful chorus, to great effect. The reggae-tinged coda is a brave, if ultimately perhaps too jarring, departure. All in all, this demo shows steady progression from the very promising, very excellent Godsuit.

Welcome back also this time to the Butterfly Effect. The band who are based in Thurles are at the moment slimmed down to Brian Corbett and John O’Sullivan and are concentrating on song-writing with a view to recording their debut LP. On with the music and this Daniel’s Day demo offers us three new songs. The title song comes in on a laid back electronic beat. O’Sullivan’s intelligent and wry observation of Daniel Day Lewis is sweetly sung over a wall of dreamy guitars. This is a beautiful song which worms its way into your memory effortlessly. ‘Falling (In The Heat Of The Night)’ is a strong melodic pop song featuring some lovely guitar work from Corbett. ‘Scenes From This World’ has a sad country feel to it with a downbeat, melancholic, subtle charm. Superb work from the Butterfly Effect. Fantastique!

Finally, may I stress (yet again) the importance of including full information packs when sending in your work to me. I am not psychic and no matter how many of your friends have heard of you – I haven’t!

Merci et au revoir.