Dorset Music Awards: Quarter Final 3

The Winchester, Bournemouth

Featuring: Dirty Jerkers, Voice of Reason, Veetacore, The General Public, Pachango, Pump Action Radio

The Winchester Pub hosts this year’s third quarter final of the Dorset Music Awards (DMA). There are six bands on the bill tonight as last week one couldn’t play due to illness. That band was the Dirty Jerkers and so they get the opening slot of the evening. Playing to a Winchester that seems to be made up of musicians (from the other bands), bar staff and us!

Dirty Jerkers: 01–02–03–04–05–06

They didn’t look overly bothered by this and launched in with a fast set of tunes with minimal between song banter so as ‘to get more songs in’ the twenty minute time slot. They have a very 50’s Rock n’ Roll vibe with a coating of Garage rock on top. Buzz saw guitars, and punky screaming vocals had this reviewer’s foot tapping throughout their set.

Voice of Reason: 01–02–03–04–05

Voice of Reason were on next and for a young looking band had an extremely confident approach. Exploding onto the stage with bags of enthusiasm, delivering their Indie rock with (what I thought were) strong Iron Maiden influences. On the track “Vikings” they had the rapidly filling Winchester nodding their heads and clapping hands with approval.

Veetacore: 01–02–03–04–05

Female fronted Veetacore came out on the attack and gave us a solid set of pop rock with excellent vocals and harmonies galore. The songs were well crafted, delivered with conviction and had their own stamp of originality, but received a surprisingly lacklustre reaction from the crowd.

The General Public: 01–02–03–04–05

A slightly mellower vibe to the evening was bought by the very engaging The General Public. Starting off slowly their quirky American style college rock gathered pace and drew the crowd’s attention. By the end of their slot they had the whole pub clapping and cheering.

Pachango: 01–02–03–04–05

We watched in amazement as the ten members of Pachango slowly trooped up onto the stage. When it was full to bursting with a mixture of Guitars, Drums, Congo’s, Saxophone’s, Clarinets, and singers the outfit let loose with a magnificent blend of funky Latin American rhythms overlaid with Hip-Hop styling. The audience is grooving mightily with people singing and dancing along to the party atmosphere that had descended on the pub.

Pump Action Radio: 01–02–03–04–05

It falls to Pump Action Radio round the night off, and they do so in style. Punk pop anthems at full blast, lots of guitars and jumping around the stage. These lads put on a really accomplished show working the crowd well and letting the music do a fair amount of talking.

Dirty Jerkers – “Where Should I Go”