The latest heat in this year's battle of the band competition saw North Bedfordshire based band Chavius win against very stiff competition. However, this decision both staggered and amazed me and I feel very sorry for Drive Like Casey and Acosta who, on the night were, in my opinion, vastly superior to the eventual winners. This decision seemed to make a mockery of a so called 'fair' competition and even goes so far as to question the integrity of some of the people involved!

Anyway, having got that of my chest let me review the evening.

First on was 'Alias' who unfortunately I know little about. They are a band I have not seen before but they impressed me with their versatility. At regular intervals the vocalist and drummer interchanged roles, which meant their seven song set showed real variety and diversity.

Next on were 'Acosta', a young band who formed at college just over two years ago. Hailing from Nottingham, during their short career they have already played at such venues as '93 East' in London, 'Junction 7', 'The Rescue Rooms', and 'The Boat Club' in Nottingham, 'Music Live' in Birmingham as well as various venues in Derby.

Their set, which could be described as a cross between Rock and Indie, impressed me immensely, and it was easy to see why their vocalist Rosie Abbott has earned comparisons with P.J. Harvey. I particularly liked the songs 'Standing Still' and set closer 'Hair Down' and although they did not win on the night I sincerely hope it won't be the last time Acosta play Bedford.

The next band on, and eventual winners, were Chavius - a four piece group who all met at Sharnbrook Upper School. Presumably they are called 'Chavius' because they all want to be 'Chavs'.

Of their set, I liked 'Distant Shores' and 'Making Plans' and I wish them good luck in the semi-finals.

The last band on the night and certainly the most experienced of the four were Luton / Bedford based 'Drive Like Casey'. They have played Esquires about six times in the past two years and have during that time supported 'Franz Ferdinand', 'Jet Plane Landing', 'The Ordinary Boys' and 'Bloc Party' - quite a testament to their ability.

Tonight they open their set with 'The Scent of Blood', a rousing and vibrant song that sets the tone for the following six songs, which were consistently excellent despite the band experiencing a few problems with their sound.

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