Well, I'm listening to the new Calamateur EP 'Son of Everyone' (rather lovely acoustic/electronic solo songwriting,for want of a better description) . I reckon this is as much as my ears will stand after the battering they took last night. I was roped in to 'judge' a event in the Ferns pub in Livingston which acted as a heat; the chance for the bands to play live in a large festival in Livi next July. I'm always a bit dubious about such things - MUSIC IS NOT A COMPETITION - but, well, the live scene in West Lothian, where I live, needs all the support it can get, plus it was all for a charitable cause. There are various genres taking part in 6 heats - punk has been and gone, next one is hiphop/DJing - and last night was rock. Sorry, RAWK. A pal who lives in the town, but deigned to come along, had told me "at least it's handy for St Johns", presumably meaning that if I was to stumble in the car park I'd at least be able to get my wounds dressed at the nearby A&E. The judges which included people from New Music in Scotland and the Elevation Station website, as well as Radio Forth, were all seated directly in front of the stage - or 'carpeted area' as the hugely entertaining but completely insane MC put it. He announced that the acts would be judged on "style, speed, aggression and damage". Sadly it was more the usual stuff like 'performance' and 'audience reaction' which were on my form.
Anyway, the bands played their takes on rock, which ranged broadly from the Stereophonics to Napalm Death in influence, though not necessarily during the same set. Eventual 1-2-3 was 9 Miles High, Shackle and Absolute Zero, with Carpe Diem (possibly having the strongest tunes of the night) and Duke 69, with some mighty fine guitar/drum interplay, losing out. Though, as our compere pointed out, every band was a winner. Well, apart from the ones that lost out.
How did I vote? Well, I will keep that to myself, since, after all, who cares?
  ¶ 3:17 PM