Live Music in London – London and South West Area Final- Feedback

The best Live Music London has to offer was performed at the Live and Unsigned Area final as unsigned acts and bands took to the stage in Hayes, as The Beck Theatre welcomed the best of unsigned talent for the latest round of the Live and Unsigned Competition. 

The headline act taking to the stage alongside Live and Unsigned Area Finalists in Hayes was singer/songwriter Joe Karchud. Danica Hunter also played at the showcase treating the crowd to her unique and captivating voice.

Judges presiding over the Live music in London included; Gary and Michelle Promoters at K Festival, Vic Bynoe who has toured and worked with artists including Sir Bob Geldof and Eric Clapton, Anita McDonald from Vivace Music Company, Rob Palmer vocal tutor, Geoff Meall Director of The Agency Group, Benjamin Price from High Peak Radio, John Saunderson Creative Director of Notting Hill Music and James Holliday Z-Fest organiser.

James Holliday, Z-Fest organiser judged the Area Finals in Hayes and was so impressed with the live music in London that he has chosen Joe Housley & Tom Bailey and Poetic Justin to play at the festival. Z-Fest takes place on 27^th – 29^th May in Islington, London.

Gary and Michelle, promoters of K Festival also judged the Area Finals in Hayes, were also extremely impressed with the live music in London and they have chosen Oliver Mascarenhas, The Undecided, Malory Torr and Hannah Rodgers to play at the festival. K Festival takes place on 16th July in Harrow and we wish the selected acts the best of luck.

The competition was fierce and the standard was extremely high, well done to all the acts for putting on a great show! The Live music in London certainly impressed both the judges and the crowds! Congratulations to those that made it through to the National Grand Final at Live Fest at London’s O2 on the 23^rd July.

Find below feedback for the day. Please be aware views expressed by Judges are opinions and subjective to that particular Judge panel. These views in no way reflect the views of Live and Unsigned, but are published with a view to being beneficial to the performing bands and singers who performed. So please take the feedback onboard with a view to helping.

Final 1

Sister Gracie – Great energy. Nice and different but would work better as a band, he’s an engaging front man. Good stage performance but stage feels a little empty

Nike Jemiyo– Looks good, and good voice which engaged the audience immediately. Nice take on the cover gave it plenty of her own personality. No original aspects though, which she’ll need to stand out in an over-congested field

So Am I – Good energy from band but the image needs to be worked on. Good transition from original to cover, but original was not as strong as the cover. Good tight band but no USP

Kristal Sisodia – Great image, love the hair. Worked the crowd well, but needs to control vocals in chorus. A nervous start, but good original song! Lots of potential here

Dogstate – Image is a little dated. Would have liked more performance from the guitarist. Need to work on originality of the act to really stand out, but a good front man performance

S.I.B – Liked the take on cover he interpreted the instrumental well. He should have worked the stage; he’s stagnant at the microphone stand. More vocal control needed

Omniabsence – Vocals need to be worked on and keys player needs to connect more with theaudience. Would have liked some more expansive guitar playing. The cover song overshadowed the original, which felt a bit karaoke. More practise needed, you’re only young and have really great potential

Sam Brett – A ‘Brett’ of fresh air. Great range in his voice. He has an original voice, which will get him a long way. Great take on the cover too he puts his own stamp on things. Excellent original song, work on audience engagement

Synthetica – Good energy, but could have been more chemistry between two vocalists. Vocals much better than the music. Original song became a little repetitive. A good rock drummer would massively improve the dynamics

Ella Martini – Slight nerves in the vocals. Looks great and put a lot of passion in her performance. Good original song, but a more bluesy cover would have suited better, keep practising guitar technique

Munkinpure – Good, funky feel. An original act with a unique set up, but drumming singer needs to be careful not to Americanise. Singing does seem to detract from drumming a little. Love the bass player, great energy. A more collective image would improve overall set-drummer had a great image, maybe think about this for the whole band

Oliver Mascarenhas – A couple of tuning issues. He has an angelic voice. Good voice control and he’s feeling the lyrics. A very dynamic cover. Looked a bit nervous, needs to combat this by playing in front of crowds more. Need to stick to the timing rules-Both songs made it about 7 minutes. You know the rules Oliver!

Indianna – Big voice, but vocals were a little flat in places, perhaps due to nerves. Good onstage chemistry but the vocals overshadow everything else. Original song needs better structure. Don’t switch off from performing when you’re not singing- need to keep the crowd engaged. Great potential for the future!

Hannah Rodgers – Felt like she was holding back on the vocals, needed more passion and feeling. Could have put more originality on the cover. She has a nice playing style and a soft voice but she needs to really believe in her performance and work on stage presence

The Dragon Slayers – Amazing talent for his age, but naturally he’s not quite there with his playing just yet. Drummer is equally talented. Loads of star quality and definitely one for the future. Guitar riff at the end was excellent. Keep going!

Stephanie & Kevin – Both seemed very natural on the stage. Cover song was a bit karaoke put your own spin on it please. Kevin is very talented and Stephanie has a great voice. Need more originality overall though, and performance was a little static. Good original song. Much better today than in the Regional Final

Karen Grace Band – Wasn’t quite as good as previous performances. All a bit sleepy. Kate worked the stage well. All performers believed in what they were doing, but everything needs to be more lively

Luisa Santiago – Very engaging image. Very nice singing which compliments the keys and she connects with the audience too. Very diverse, love the way she completely changed the act to show a completely different side of her. Less vocal control once she was up dancing -needs to work on that

Ally and the Katz – Vocals off key to begin with. Only one of the other girls is putting energy into her performance. Good performance from Ally, she looks like she’s having a good time. Original song needs some work. Not quite ready- but keep going!

Steph Dunn – Seemed very nervous. Would have been nice to hear an original. Would be a good Open Mic UK contestant she looks good but needs more stage performance

The Conversation – A very static performance. Have more passion guys. I liked the take on Abba and the effects pedal was used to good effect. Lead guitar player is very good but he looks bored! Overall performance and stage presence needs developing

Final 2

Debut – Good image but not sure about the uniform hoody. Vocals drowned out in places by the instruments. Interesting cover choice would have liked to hear a different side of the band though, it was all very one-paced. Overall performance needs to be tighter

Fried Squirrel – Good energy and good pace to the music and a nice funky bass line. Cover a little too similar to original, needed to put their own stamp on it. Lots of passion in the performance, but vocally rocky at times. You improve a little more every time- so keep practising!

Nexus – Did not see a Prodigy cover coming here. It’s different to say the least but would they work as a recording group? Excellent overall performance, but could work on a more synchronised image

Bethan Horton – Careful of the American accent. Needs to develop an original aspect to her act. Looks good, sings well, plays well enough but needs to do something to make herself stand out in the market

Land of the Giants – Love his voice and the Trombone gives it something different. A good stage performance and a decent original song. Great overall sound, you’ll do great at festivals!

Bonnie Badoo – A confident performer, but not with the biggest vocal range. Needs to develop her own stylistic interpretations

Base Mosquito – Great energy. Missing a drummer- which would add a lot to the performance. Girls outfits a bit random maybe could have coordinated better to have a collective image. Good original song they have their own sound, which is vital. Keep doing what you do!

John Godwin – The box brings a nice sound to the performance. Nice original song and an interesting cover choice. Nice energetic song choices kept it engaging. Need a more solid image

Bass 6 – Good image and good overall polished performance. More chemistry needed between two singers, don’t think they ever looked at each other

Richard James – Nice cover of Crazy. Blends into original nicely. Lovely guitar style and vocal combination with subtle accompaniment. Nice original song just needs to go the extra mile to give him something that really stands out

Elektric – It’s good to have a unique image but don’t cross the line, stay stylish as well. Vocally shaky at times. Good chemistry. Definitely star potential for the future

Devil’s Answer – Overall strong performance, but do not start and stop in a live performance, play through your mistakes! A bit of a Kiss tribute, put your own stamp on your performance. Good bass and drum unit. Good cover of the Kinks although needed more seasoning

Sophie Griffin – Would have liked to hear more of the original song. A good stage performance but missed a few notes early on probably due to nerves. Good confidence for a 16 year-old

The Freemantle – Tight overall band. Really poor cover choice. Very basic and easy to play with no original flavour. Vocally not strong enough to carry off the woos. Went on too long as well. Stick to your limitations vocally if you can’t hit the big notes don’t try. Do as Charlie Fink does!

Joe Housley and Tom Bailey – Good harmonies between the two. Not sure the electric and acoustic guitars work too well. Subtle riffs on the electric would be more appropriate rather than chords. Nice original song. More backing vocals please, your voices work really well together. Need to work on crowd communication, lots of good potential here

Post me to the Stars – Strong start, and the two songs merged well with a tempo change which added energy. More originality needed overall and work on audience engagement, one for the future

Mark Crofts – Very confident performer lovely voice and playing. Brilliantly diverse and creative. Keep it up!

RoShamBo – Good original song but the vocals were a little shaky. Playing sometimes felt too heavy on the acoustic. Great front man. Think about overall image

The New Root – Voice needs more grit to suit the music. The music sometimes overpowers the vocals, some vocal strengtheneing exercises may help. Good bouncy, original song, tight as a band. Need to connect more with the crowd- guitarist looked like he was miles away

Teka Manuel – Nice voice, good image, but lacks belief in his performance, he’s not feeling the words enough. Whole performance lacked pace and energy and stage craft needs working on

The Street Orphans– Nice take on a Beyonce cover. A bit of an empty sound, the rhythm guitar could have more impact. A few timing issues, keep performing live and this will help!

CRAM – More personality in the cover please. Image needs updating to make the band more marketable. Good tight band with loads of attitude and energy, ramp it up for the final!

Final 3

Silverbox – Powerful lead vocals and good stage presence, why the American accent? A softer side is good but wouldn’t be a good spectacle in a live show. Had a chance to do a cover in a higher tempo but kept it relatively one-paced. Overall a pleasant performance

Daniel E Walker – Really nice voice and good playing. But perhaps not a unique act. Consider adding some beats, maybe bongo or cajon to improve the performance

Kemi Sulola – Really well performed to the audience. Really, really good original song. Just needs a little more voice control. Cover song has been done so many times, should have chosen something different

Robbie Boyd Band – Slightly disappointing cover choice, but they did make it their own. Great melodies between the three singers. They’re all proper musicians who clearly love playing. Image is perfect. Liked the original, it was more upbeat than I was expecting, which showed another side to the band. Great stage performance. Worked the crowd well

Ross Bennett – Guitar playing is very basic. Needs to really show who he is! Don’t sing in an American accent please be yourself! The cover song needed more originality, don’t be scared to put your own stamp on it

Moxie –The performance felt like it missed a fourth musician. Cover was just a cover no original aspects. You didn’t look like you were enjoying it!  Bass player lacked energy. Really good vocals!

Sam Mayo – Good vocals and good connection with the audience. Like the guitar/drum style. Creates a full side with a beat and even riffs amongst the chords. Good original song. Keep practising vocals!

Michael G Moore – Confident performance, and engaging too. Nice playing. Slight mic issue at one point. Great original song, but transition into cover should have been smoother. Stop/start not ideal

The Briefing – Love the effects. Work on mic technique a little to make sure lyrics are clear. Cover was a little lacklustre, lacked the same energy as the original. In 3.5 minutes you really need to hit the audience with impact

Twig – Be yourself and try not to base your act on anyone else. Could have worked on image a little more. Decent original and good energy. Overall very confident and great diction- Every word could be heard! Keep it up!

Poetic Justin – Showed some moves! Good memorable image. Influences a bit too obvious needs to make sure he doesn’t get thrown in the Jackson wannabe pile. Could have had more passion in the vocals he seemed a little subdued. You’re a great performer Justin, keep it up!

Lost Minute – Liked the cover choice and they kept it short to show off their original. Would have preferred the acoustic guitar to carry the rhythm, it was barely used. Might have given it a slightly crisper feeling. Good energy throughout

2 Badda – Song about last year’s disappointment at L&U was a bit cheesy. Good stage performance. Really confident and good image. Not an original urban act, you need something to make you stand out from the crowd, show us your personality more!

Malory Torr – Good facial expressions it suited the meaning of the song. Good original bouncy song and good image. Careful of Americanisms. A touch of Tim Minchin in the song, quirky. Keep up the good work!

Purple Spiral Project – Nice tight band overall. Voice is a little one-toned, it takes away from the songs. Playing needs to be expansive.  Great drummer. Nice re-arrangement of cover

 Caddy Cooper – Great bluesy voice and looks great, but maybe could have more distinction in her image. A Great voice, but not different enough, work on what makes you unique. Backing track overshadows the playing. Great original song

The Undecided – Poor cover choice but they put their own spin on it. Bit off key in places. Good for their age but playing and drums very basic. Original is OK and suits the age of the band. You have great presence for such a young band, and you had the crowd on your side! Keep it up, you have great potential for the future!

Ashley Dawes – Looks good with a striking image. Very confident overall performance. The accompaniment could be more subtle. Lacking originality in her voice a little. Put more of an accent into her cover, which gave a little edge. More voice control needed

The Enticing Ideas – Good fun and confident performers, but image was disconnected. They all look like they’re in different bands. Work on impact of original song, it has potential. Lead singer was hindered by what appeared to be chewing gum, it detracted from his voice

For those acts who didn’t progress through to the Grand Finals, don’t forget to use your Wildcard! All acts have been given a Wildcard in the form of a national public vote. There is just one place up for grabs and just two weeks to make your mark, so keep an eye out on the website and get voting for that last National Grand Final spots!

For information on the Grand Final and to purchase tickets visit the Live and Unsigned Live Fest page. Or for further details of guest acts playing the London’s biggest indoor festival Live Fest incorporating the National Grand Final visit www.LiveFest.co.uk