Venues

The Bedford heat of the RSMA rocked we had a thoroughly enjoyable night and we loved the bands. The night was well good. Me and my friends had a great time. A BIG thanks to all the bands to Redstripe and Esquires!

The red stripe music awards 2008 final heat at bedford prestigious esquires was a night full of individuality and talent with a mixture of very different bands. The night started with a look inside a great looking VW camper with the red stripe logos and speakers filling each crevice. Straws where drawn to make a statement that no one was to be headlining the gig and everyone was equal, good move as it would be hard to choose who to headline. So it was a pint of red stripe then upstairs to watch the first band of the evening, 91 Pieces, unfortunately whilst i have seen this band play before and enjoyed it, tonight the lads seem to be plagued with timing and technical difficulties midland road a catchy number was the only song to stick out from their set for me.
We were then truly bent over and funked by The Measure, Great guitar solos and fantastic harmonies filled my ears with pleasurable music on this funktastic journey, energy and performance on a high.
A short break for a refreshment of another pint then the dimming of the lights got audiences attention back to the stage in time for the words NEW IMPROVED BRIGANTE to be heard over the haunting backing track followed by the guitarist being lit up in a green light playing brigantes intro then in unison the lights and the band came to life. Brigante put up a shining performance which for me truely made the night. The flare and energy this band gave on stage is delievered in spades of attitude and raw talent.
A really strong performance, showing a passion for their music. The lads interacted with the audience, they worked as one. They got moving on stage causing a reaction from the audience. The atmosphere in the room shot up when this band graced us with their presence, there was dancing and cheering for a very hyped crowd. The songs had catchy choruses and depth, its inspiring and energetic, they were intriguing and fun to listen to. The bands music opens up to a range of ages proven by the enjoyment from the variety of people in esquires. The lads ended there set on 'with our eyes open' the set left me feeling high and truely satisfied.
Whilst not on stage the band kept a good rep up with the reaction they showed other bands, they were cheering them on and generally being supportive. Brigante lads seem like a genuine group, out there to soully have fun and express themselves through music and lyrics, however they are approachable and they respect all other bands for their own performances.
Ending the night with a performance from The Shapes, they played a great set of skinny jeans indie and i must say i found myself repeating big shot charlie and found it histerical when the lead singer dived over the drums into a shocked drummer, a worth while performance. All in all a memorable night for all!