Glastonbury Festival New Talent Competition day 1

Pilton Working Man's Club plays host to the first night of the Glastonbury Festival New Talent Competition with bands hoping to win a place on a main stage at this year's festival.



Myth Of Unity
The 7 piece are already a couple of songs in when we arrive at the Pilton venue after driving through rain of biblical proportions - I really hope it's not a precursor for the festival. MOU play a lively virile set full of energy. The band are colourfully dressed as Blackpool nu-trash and their mix of electronica, dual keyboards (well Roz at times plays two keyboards one around her neck), big basslines, high tempo drums, and a duo boy/girl vocal creates an impressive opening to the competition. Come the end of their set the red suited Marc is shouting through a megaphone, and Kel has strutted her stuff and their fans have frenetically leapt about before them. The kids in the crowd are waving the glo sticks the band have brought with them, although I rather hope they weren’t listening to the lyrical content too closely. 'Sid3wind3r' and 'Welcome To Unity' are the best tracks. Drum and bass with RATM type rock and rap, this lot would go down well in the dance village but would need a big following to secure the main stage prize on offer in this competition.



The Golden Silvers
Are an interesting three piece band who start off their set sounding like an indie band with vocal three part harmonies and a liking for sixties stylings. Then suddenly they start to deconstruct the songs, this is clever art school. Songs are twisted to their basic essence, striking a cow bell, or simple keyboard verging on pure noise but retaining the music and punctuated with their London accent vocals and sounding like punk incarnations of the original up tempo modern pop songs. Musical highlights include 'Magic Touch' and most of the songs are dark and brooding and move from almost a capella to full speed drums and moog 'Doors' like explosions. The genre is hard to pin down, prog-art funk with each song described as a painting. Definitely the most innovative act of the night and are sure to be hits in indie and dance clubs, the John Peel and Park Stage would suit this trio.



28 Costumes
A 4 piece from Liverpool, who play classic indie/rock tunes. The band look the part, lead singer Chris in white colllared shirt and rolled up sleeves, with black drain pipes and white shoes, the girl on bass, looking sultry and Tony Reilly in glasses and furry hat wigging out jerkily in front of his marshall amp angular indie punk shapes and tight crazy fretboard noodlings, all underpinned with drums. Their music is catchy with big hooks and singalong choruses where all the band join in. An act suitable for John Peel or Other Stage and lively enough to get the crowds at Glastonbury going on the main stage.



The Travelling Band
Are for me the band of the evening, this is the kind of music I love. A 6 piece act with Byrds harmonies, acoustic guitars, and a deep understanding of American folk, there's jazz and other influences meandering amongst the jangly guitars and sun shot rhythms. There are four writers in the band so each of them takes turns to sing their songs. Every song is a fantastically mature piece of music, 'Only Waiting' and 'Biding My Time'. I wonder whether Glastonbury crowds are as much fans of country folk music as I am, but I'd put them on the main stage and as many others as possible! See this band at a festival this summer they will make you feel good. The best acts of the night for me by some margin gorgeous harmonies, foot tapping rhythms and psychedelic guitar work.



Charlene Sorai
She's currently at number seven in the US folk charts. This solo guitar player, is bound to have comparisons with Kate Nash, because she's a female folk singer. But that would be grossly unfair, her guitar work is sublime, putting her in the same category as Newton Faulkner. This is complex musical pieces and well worked songs. She'd go down a treat on the acoustic stage and I think she would struggle on an opening slot on the main stage. I do think this competition is slightly unfair and a return to different acts playing for a prize on different stages would make more sense. Lovely laid back, lose yourself in the music tunes with 'Daffodils' an obvious future hit and possibly destined to be on the radio for much of the summer. Three octave range singing and mesmerising guitar, Charlene will rise rapidly on the folk scene.



Young Runaways
This four piece are instantly sing along fair, a folk indie mix who sound not unlike The Hoosiers at times with an acoustic guitar bent. There's a ukulele and Lucy the keyboard player also plays violin. I find myself singing along to their tracks without thinking about it. They're musically talented and would suit either Acoustic or even Other Stage and could probably just about handle the main stage slot.



This night of musical entertainment is rounded off by the final Deadbeats appearance ever as the band change their name due to another 70s act of the same name in the USA and their music is tight, rich and lively rock as the newly named 'Ten Bears' who have no management and are self produced and sound fantastic. Winners a few year's ago of this very competition and boasting a member or two of Travelling Band (their friends from home town Manchester) the band show how much they have developed over the last few years.

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