IT may have been damp outside, but the atmosphere was electric in Okehampton?s Charter Hall this week, as the first heat of the 2007 Battle of the Bands got underway in front of a packed hall. Eight bands with very differing styles and members of very different ages took part in the first round of the annual competition. Organiser Richard Appleby said: ?Standards were incredibly high.? First place in the competition went to Yelverton band Output, who had only decided to enter the competition at the last minute when another group dropped out. Richard Appleby said: ?The minute they hit the stage they grabbed the audience and never let go. Their front man is clearly born to be a star, with a stage presence somewhere between Roger Daltrey and Johnny Rotten.? Output will now go through to the final of the competition in Simmons Park on Saturday, August 11. They will be joined by Plymouth band the Devil Riders, who came second in Thursday?s heat with their distinctive blend of psycho-billy and madcap rock ?n? roll. Reserve place went to The Rickys from Horton in Somerset, who will play in the final if either of the two placed bands pulls out. The remaining five bands in the competition also put in exciting performances. The young Bude band Small Print left judges hoping they would see them again in next year?s competition, while Okehampton?s Rise Above Chaos set the hall astir with their cheeky stage presence. The individual prize for fashion icon of the evening went to Ralph, the singer for the Devil Riders, while the award for the most outstanding musician went to the guitarist from Tavistock band Thief. The second heat will take place on Thursday, July 26 at 6.30pm in the Charter Hall, when the bands fighting for a place in the final will include Le Chat Noir, Pastor of Muppets, Dirty Magic, Sham, Real Horrorshow, Pyrates, and Subliminal Army.
