Red Stripe Music Awards
The Croft, Bristol
28/01/2010

Tonight The Croft hosts the second night of this year’s Red Stripe Music Awards, showcasing the best up’n'coming bands from around Bristol. By kick off , the venue is teaming with people eagerly awaiting the six bands taking to The Croft’s two stages. First up are The New Roots, mixing together some nostalgic indie sounds with some heavier moments and stirring female vocals. The highly energetic Diego, meanwhile, are also straight-up indie band but with obvious roots in classic rock. Diego manage to blend acoustic guitar sounds with heavier riffs, creating something not too dissimiliar to Biffy Clyro’s arena-dwelling anthems. The evening then turns takes a turn towards electro as Substatic take to the main stage, the three-piece immediately blowing the crowd away with a unique combination of hi-energy synths, beats and deep dub-style basslines.

So far, so relentless, and as Scarlett Rascal & The Train Wreck take to the stage there is no sign of the pace slowing. The two-piece combine a female drummer and male guitarist/lead singer to create a White Stripes-esque feel. Syte And The Sound bring more of a chill-out experimental hip-hop feel to proceedings, whilst finally Ruckus Collective bring a night of thrilling diversity to a close with a crowd-pleasing set of genre-jumping jazz-funk.

Olly Curtis