HOT PRESS/BACARDI UNPLUGGED BAND COMPETITION

HOT PRESS/BACARDI UNPLUGGED BAND COMPETITION (Trinity College, Dublin)

THE DUBLIN regional final of this keenly-contested event saw five amp-less combos battling it out before a packed Friday-night crowd in the hallowed portals of Trinity College. The standard was impressively high and the variety of acts on offer ensured a good night’s entertainment.

First on stage were Hermit’s Dream, a folk-oriented, mainly female group with a line-up featuring a vocalist/guitarist, fiddle, saxophone and those charming relics of the hippie era — the bongos! The songs were serious and earnest, with heartfelt confessional lyrics — a little like early Joan Armatrading. And while the performance was assured and confident, the instrumental backing lacked a little in colour — something that will doubtless develop over time.

Gift are a three-piece outfit featuring Lorcan Hughes and Siobhan Mahon —both former members of the once-touted Christina Calls. Trading in refined, quality pop in the George Michael/Seal vein, theirs was the most soulful and relaxed performance of the evening. The harmonies were tight and the songs — ‘Twist ‘N’ Turn’, ‘Heaven Here I Am’ and ‘Don’t Come Too Close’ – were melodically strong, well-structured and economically arranged. This particular live setting however, did not entirely suit their subdued style and some of the subtleties of the band’s delivery were lost in the bustle of the venue.

Watercress from Belfast were a different story altogether. Wacky, weird and chaotic, they came on like a cross between The Pale, Jellyfish and the Brendan Balfe favourites, Spike Jones and His City Slickers. Catchy ditties like ‘Someone’s Watching You’, ‘Candlemaker’ and ‘Me And My Mouth’ were defined by rapid key and rhythm changes, madcap onstage antics and anarchic playing; their final number ‘Boneyman’ even featured a didgeridoo solo! They were ridiculously confident and their set was cleverly geared to elicit maximum crowd response.

Drawing the biggest partisan support from the audience, The Field have been deservedly heralded for some time now. With a strong sixties feel to their passionately wrought sound, recalling bands like Buffalo Springfield and Arthur Lee’s Love, they didn’t disappoint the dedicated legion of followers who crowded around the stage during their set. Performing songs from their recently released EP, including ‘There Was A Day’, ‘Whenever’ and ‘Made In Heaven’ as well as a couple of new songs like ‘More’, The Field proved once again that they have everything to play for and time on their side.

The final act of the evening, a guitar-based trio called, Mockingbird had their work cut out for them in matching the earlier highlights but they made a brave attempt nonetheless. With a strong vocalist in the Christy Dignam mode and a bunch of solid original songs like ‘Why You Came’, ‘Wounded Animal’ and ‘Girlfriend’, they rounded off an interesting evening nicely.

It was all down to the jury to decide on a winner and — not too surprisingly, Watercress came out tops on the night. They go on to compete in the grand final in April, so congrats to them and kudos to the sponsors and organisers of this successful event. If all the nights are as good, they’ll be well worth catching.

• Colm O’Hare