New bands get one shot at discovery at Pogues Whiskey competition in Birmingham

The event was hosted to give bands the opportunity to qualify for the finals of The Pogues Irish Whiskey Presents: A Shot at Discovery.

Sponsored by brand of spirit and Academy Events, the winners will be gifted the ultimate artist development package, including £3,000 towards new instruments, studio time to record an E.P with members of The Pogues, live performance opportunities through the O2 Academy venue estate, as well as management services from Brontone Management, who has worked with the likes of Muse, The Pogues and Pulled Apart By Horses.

When talking about the event, The Pogues say: "We're blown away by how many bands have entered in Birmingham and the surrounding areas, there were literally hundreds and the competition is fierce. There's some exciting new talent out there and we're looking forward to hearing more from our finalists."

And that's only the beginning, The Pogues Whiskey and Academy Events will continue to nurture and develop the winning band over the next 12 months – so the stakes, it goes without saying, were very high at the Birmingham Heats.

The venue was packed with an air of anticipation lingering above everyone's heads as the contestants furiously practised their sets, had one last group pep talk and nervously marvelled at the Pogues Whisky-themed cocktails on sale at the bar crafted with each act and their name in mind.

The bands were judged on three different factors – social media promotion of the event, tickets sold and their performance on the night in a 15-minute set by myself, Brum Radio, Carlo Solazzo from Birmingham Promoters and Kerrang! Radio legend Johnny Doom.

The lights dimmed, fans clapped and compere for the night, Scuzz TV presenter and music journalist Matt Stocks took to the stage welcoming everyone to the event and giving a brief overview of the brand, how the competition will work and a little about each band involved.

Without further ado, opening act The Borgias set the bar for the competition high. Hailing from Birmingham, The Borgias showcased an interesting fusion of indie, alternative rock and dance that set them apart from the crowd. Despite a few timing issues, The Borgias created a fun-loving, 90s-tinged atmosphere making heads bob around the venue.

Bringing their own merchandise table and a solid fan-base, Nuneaton's Speaking In Shadows were a fine example of polished and precise modern metal. With an ominous intro, radio-perfect vocals and crushing instrumentals Speaking In Shadows looked and sounded the part of a band that meant business. From start to finish they had their legions of fans hanging on to their every word, roaring proudly at the end of each song and following each command from their enigmatic vocalist to clap, sway and raise their hands.

Walsall's Mr George's Famous Last Words juxtaposed Speaking In Shadows entirely with a rough and ready demeanor and musical style that drifted from funk, to blues, to hard rock and indie at a moment's notice. Similar to this were Birmingham's Big Ginger Kid with their indie rock fused with Brit-pop sound and utterly endearing rapport with the crowd. Both bands knew how to make a crowd dance and smile with their infectious music and charm.

Taking things up a notch, Coventry rockers Charles Dexter Ward and The Imagineers took the audience on an audio odyssey with their gritty, face-melting, blues-laden breed of hard rock. Treating the audience to songs from their 2016 album Love, Death and Time Travel the band made rocking out look effortless, channeling red-raw energy and a true passion for music in every single note they played.

Birmingham's Paper Buoys took the audience to a red-hot day in the height of summer with their sunny Indie-rock guise that had every audience member shaking their hips and nodding their head along to the lulling vocals and racing guitar chords.

Closing the show is a tough spot to fill, a slot that acoustic artist Alex Ohm made his own. The ex-vocalist of Wolverhampton band The Lines gained an instant rapport with the crowd, striking up conversation and enticing the audience to be a part of his set. It is hard to make acoustic music stand out in a scene where it is abundant, but Alex Ohm utilised challenging guitar hooks, hard-rock inspirations and a varied vocal range to subvert everyone's expectations of the acoustic genre.

All the acts were done, and they had all blown me away in their own individual ways – judging was about to get very tough.

Charles Dexter Ward and The Imagineers were announced as the winners of the Birmingham Heats and were set to compete in the finals, at O2 Academy Islington in London last night.

The Pogues Your Shot was the perfect platform for every band to show what they're made of and come away with brand new fans, eager to hear more.

Becci Stanley