And the winner is ...
Reading five piece The Race are already well along the road to making big; since their formation in 2004 they already have an album and a couple of singles under their belts and have received an impressive amount of radio play.
First impressions are quite favourable as rather strange keyboard parts accompany flailing guitars and some manic drumming to create an indie rock vibe, there is even a glockenspiel in there although the sound mix makes it somewhat ineffective. Singer Dan Buchanan gives his performance plenty of energy throughout and even manages a few press ups in the penultimate song, all of which makes them entertaining to watch. There is a distinct commercial edge to them but as the set moves on there don't appear to be any really stand out tracks.
Musically they are a good band but there are plenty of them around this weekend and the competition is tough. The faster songs make for a better performance and they finish on a high as the last song steals the show. They get a decent reaction from a crowd that has been hard to please for the most of the day so far and I come away thinking that with the right backing there's no reason why The Race can't succeed.