I’m not sure that this is a Battle of the Bands – there doesn’t appear to be a ‘battle’ as such – but everything else points towards that most heinous of show types – the venue itself, the ‘mixed’ styles in the lineup, the Friday night clientele who move into position like a finely-drilled supporters army before retreating to the bar when their favourites are done.
And the Emcee, who certainly very enthusiastically encourages the fans to stick around for the next act. However, we’re only there to see Storm Society, who in a previous incarnation featured members in InchBlue, purveyors of rather fine brooding epic sounds mixed with alternative pop which in the 80s would have come with a long mac and a sulk. The new act aren’t that dissimilar musically, actually rather enjoying the clear mainstream rock tendencies of some of the audience and playing to their crowd with some good-natured posturing. However, rather than stadium rock their take on the ‘epic’ is of a more underground nature – brooding goth-y soundscapes (which are crying out for an inappropriate smoke machine in the brightly-lit venue). However, they’re closest to the pop-starred alt.rock of Interpol on tunes like the hook-infused ‘Skin on Skin’ and dramatically-chorused single ‘Miles Away’. The saying goes that Music Isn’t a Competition, but Storm Society have what it taks to rise to the top.(one or 2) more Storm Society photos on Flickr