Only managed to catch about the last 3 1/2 songs of Own Worst Enemy, which isn't really enough to judge. Sounded fairly decent metallic hardcore sort of thing, with the vocalist to these lugholes anyway, doing a fair Lou Koller impression as he sang "I am not a killer, I am not a murderer". Which is a relief really, otherwise I might've had to call them the best band in the world ever ... Vol 1.
Silencer 7 were good. Very good. Stole the honours quite easily as far as I'm concerned. I guess they kind of sound "old school" a bit - did I get the pigeonholeavoidanceclassification correct? But they don't appear afraid to slow things down, throw in a melody and a hook and that sort of thing. Just simple things. Like there's two guitarists, and rather than compete constantly by playing the same chords and whatever, they compliment each other and play off each other. They even slow things down and have elements almost like acousticy breaks - well acoustics on an electric guitar, you know what I mean. There's some nice bass lines as well, I've picked up my bass again recently - I needed to remember how crap I was, so I've been keeping an eye on what bass players are playing, and there was some nice stuff in there, especially the new song they played, which if I'd had my wits about me, or a half decent memory, I would've remembered the name of. From what they said on-stage - or floor to be more accurate, they're recording an album soon. Best thing I can say is I'll be well tempted to get it when they do.
Endstand on the other hand are from Finland, and to be honest, they didn't really do it for me. Competant and with all the moves and everything, it just didn't stand out or anything. It appears the problems are the same whereever in the world you go, as the frontman introduced songs explaining how they were about "this punk rock thing, rebellion", and "the anger grows deeper inside me", and "having more rights". And of course, those pesky microphones and leads as at one stage they try about half a dozen combinations of different setups to get one that works problems. The trials of hardcore. They end with a Dag Nasty cover, thank the other bands, "Tom and Debbie and er, him", they point towards Out For The Count vocalist Gez who'd been frantically trying out the different microphone / lead combinations.. They also thank us, the people, even though "there's not many people". I know, and it's a little sad, but to be honest, how many have heard of Endstand. If you're being brutally honest, how many of the people that were here have heard of Endstand. I'd not. Which doesn't say much admittedly.