Venues

Cold weather, bleak future. The present needs strong soundtracks from new talent. Inside the art gallery escapism of New Cross Inn, the hunt is on. Dirty Sounds DJs bring the new noise at the Red Stripe Awards. The nominated strut their stuff in this packed venue, in hope of winning a tour van and major festival slots.

First on, Dirty Red Experiment are tight, but initially polite until breaking into their upbeat rock steady anthem ‘Dirty Red’. When they relax and rough up the riffs a bit we can glimpse their potential as a guitar pop force. A little more confidence and they’ll be kicking arse, hard. They certainly sound the part.

Looking the part, Fatels raise the decibels, and temperature, with rocky power chords and a driving beat - literally, banging tunes. This energy infused alt-punk trio are already on the industry’s radar, and have also supported some high profile acts. Long may their cool, loud rise continue.

To steal tonight's show needs X-tra factor. The Coolness have come prepared to be the name on all our lips after their set. They are a glam-trash groovy work of psychedelic art. An explosion in a rocket factory. Disco pop with saucy lady dancers, it gets grins growing, hips shaking and much applause. They are massive contenders on any stage.

You wouldn't want to follow that! Whiskey Versus Faith do, and even raise the game. They explode onto the stage, bringing filth and the fury to life with a youthful metal punk insanity that instantly has the dance floor and stage alike looking like dangerous places, mined with adrenaline. We get wild, then they're gone and people get dressed.

Saturday night in New Cross was never going to be dull.