Saturday 15th November marked the final heat of Exeter’s first Battle of the Bands competition run by Wildcard. The five bands competed at Bomba in hopes of making it to the semi-final which will take place in Bristol in the New Year. They were: Recreance, House of Cards, The Upper Hand, The Retrospect and Parlay. The bands beat 70 others for a chance to perform in Exeter’s final, with their eyes on the prize of a day in the local recording studio, Studio 54; a photoshoot and, to top it all off, a guest headline slot at Thekla, Bristol.
Recreance, the openers of the evening, describe themselves as a “modern, metal-core” band. Whilst metal may not be to everyone’s taste, the audience certainly loved it; proven by the numerous mosh pits that emerged throughout their set. Following this, the next three bands were of the indie rock genre: House of Cards, The Upper Hand and the University of Exeter’s own, The Retrospect! The Upper Hand had many fans in the crowd, and as a gimmick, brought along a plastic arm which began a crowd of waving hands throughout their set. As the University’s only representatives at the final, The Retrospect truly held their own against some incredible bands, and you can definitely see how they have grown as a band and in confidence since Exeposé interviewed them last year!
The winners of the night were Parlay, a pirate metal band. The second we walked into Bomba it was clear they would be the fan favourite. Their merch was being sold at the door, and you could not move for people dressed in pirate costumes. Their set even featured a special guest in the form of an inflatable crocodile which sank into the mosh pit within seconds of it being thrown into the crowd. Ultimately, Parlay’s set was an amazing display of musical talent and impeccable crowd engagement. Most of the crowd opted to join in their calls to sit down and row as if they were in a boat for one of their songs. Here is what they had to say to us following their big win:
“We had such an amazing time at the Wildcard final. We honestly thought we had no chance at winning a competition like this as a heavy band. It was great seeing so much support from our lovely fanbase and also seeing people who weren’t even there to see us getting in our pits and enjoying themselves. We’ll hopefully be back in Exeter soon!”
It was a wonderful evening of celebrating the variety of original music that Exeter has to offer. But one question remained in our minds as we left: where were all the female musicians? Despite the evident talent on display, we felt that the absence of female musicians was glaringly obvious, and we hope that future events are able to showcase the women-made music in the city and surrounding areas as well.
If this event showed us anything, it’s that Exeter has much to offer in terms of young, aspiring musicians as well as a wealth of talent, and dynamic performers. All five bands performed original songs, and it was a fantastic opportunity to showcase their skills, passion and cultivate a musical community within the city, helping to bridge the gap between the city’s local community and that of the University.
