OKEHAMPTON?S Battle of the Bands might have to cease to be a free event unless concertgoers are prepared to dig a little deeper to support it. Organiser Richard Appleby said after another successful heat last Thursday that donations to support the event on the night had been a little disappointing. He said: ?We had 300 people in that venue, who have had a most amazing night of entertainment for free. ?There is no charge to get in, but we do ask that people might consider making a small contribution. Last night, we had £126, that works out at less than 50p per person. ?When you think of how much effort the groups put in for this event, I would hope people could give a bit more.? Richard thanked all those who had contributed and praised the generosity of local organisations who had given support, including Okehampton Town Council, the Rotary Club, Round Table, Okehampton Hamlets Parish Council, West Devon Borough Council, the EX20 Lottery and Okehampton United Charity. The winners of last week?s heat were young Okehampton band Evolution. They proved to be aptly-named as previous incarnations of the band had taken part in the battles in the last couple of years and had evolved and got better each year until this time they won and went through to the grand final. Richard said he enjoyed the band?s progressive rock style, which created a well orchestrated, full sound. He said vital to Evolution?s success were the incredible vocals of their female lead singer, who also played keyboards. Joining Evolution in the final were another local band Felix and Ammafist, who tied for second. Richard said Felix were another example of a band who had played at previous events and were getting better and better each time. Felix play a stripped-down bluesy-rock, which proved popular with the audience. Ammafist were an aggressive, energetic band who played their own material, though it clearly owed a debt to Rage Against The Machine ? minus the gratuitous swearing. Sewn-on Smile from Crediton also got Richard?s approval with their well-rehearsed set of strong original hard rock/metal songs, as did local favourites Rock Salmon ? Richard said their material was very good and with more experience playing live, the band would develop further. Your Third Wish and Infall were both instrumental groups who showed promise, though Richard felt they could benefit from working with a singer. Last but not least were Borderline from near Holsworthy, a refreshing power-pop four-piece, with classic melodies galore. Tonight?s final heat of the Battle of the Bands will feature Etched in Stone, The Senses, The Evident, Malice, Output, The Lost Boys, Eleven Dedications and Spoonful. They will all be competing for a place in the grand final in Simmons Park next month. Tonight?s show gets underway in the Charter Hall at 6.30pm.
