Talented bands come together for awards night (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Talented bands come together for awards night

8:37am Friday 25th July 2008 in

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SEVERAL talented Hampshire musicians came together for an awards ceremony at The Talking Heads pub in Southampton.

The event, hosted by local music publication The Mag last Saturday (July 19), was designed to salute the county's most promising bands, and give them a chance to show off their stuff.

The award for best band went to Southampton-based Idiot 3. The rock quartet has just launched a five-track EP called The Monster and the Grey Goose.

Providing the headline act for the live music part of the evening, they belted out several tracks from their new disc, including Stereo and Monster.

Before their appearance on stage, it was the turn of Dlugokecki, winner of best live act, to bring their mixture of insightful acoustic pop to the stage.

Led by frontman, Ben Dlugokecki, who works in Winchester, they performed a few covers. They also did some tracks from their own vast back catalogue, which has more songs than most pub jukeboxes.

Earlier in the evening, the entertainment was started by Andoverbased singer and songwriter,Richie Maddisun.

Showing why he was selected as best solo artist, he performed a good mixture of intense acoustic numbers.

The Dawn Chorus, who won the best record award, then took to the stage.

The six-piece band had plenty of swagger as they performed, bringing together a mixture of indie with a pinch of Hispanic funk.

Given their sound, if the Dawn Chorus was a round of drinks, they would probably be a pint of Carling with a sherry chaser.

The best website award went to Southampton-based Plastic Toys, who were sadly unable to attend.

However, all four members of chart act Delays, who hail from Bitterne Park, were present to collect their writer's choice award.

Lead vocalist, Greg Gilbert, joked that it was the first accolade he'd picked up since playing football in the under 12s Tyro League.

The band dedicated the award to the memory of music promoter, Mint Burston, who died last year aged 59 after a long battle with cancer.

A legend in Hampshire's music scene, he was the man that brought such acts as Oasis and Coldplay to the Joiners Arms in Southampton.