EA @ MFest: Friday Part 2

At 6pm we moved over to the main stage full the official M Festival Launch event. The four top bands from our Rockband™ qualifiers came up on stage to perform two tracks infront of the panel of judges.

The Judges were Craig Fletcher from Multiplay, Gemma Atkinson and our very own Baker011.

While we were waiting for the event to start one clan who were sitting in the row behind me attempted to start a mexican wave with varied success, shouts of "FAIL" were heard until Gemma was bought on stage and asked the crowd, at the request of "MissSpoons", to get the mexican wave going, soon the entire audience around the circular stage was up and down in their seats. Then it was time to bring out the first band

The Last of the Narcoleptic Wombats are a Multiplay Staff team, they performed "Should I stay or should I go" and "Be my girl".

Craig thought that Inferno and Iggy(sp?) were good but that the rest of the band was "boring". Gregg was bored and while Gemma said she enjoyed the performance, she didn't feel it was "rock" enough.

The Second band, 'I stole your car and ran off with your sister', performed "Learn to fly" and "Rock and Roll star".

There were some minor technical difficulties during the first song with the drummer leaving his seat and encouraging the crowd to sing along to mask the problems.

While the technical difficulties were being ironed out the judges were asked thier opinions, Craig thought it was hard to judge given the problems, Gemma was encouraged by thier attempts to carry on and Gregg though that the drumming could have been less "enthusiastic".

During the second track the singer ran out into the crowd, offering his hand for high fives, unfortunatly the audience didn't seem impressed.

Craig thought that again, only two of the band members were performing, Gemma got bored towards the end and Gregg would have rather been having a pint and wasn't sure he could listen to any more.

Next up wlalalalalalaners Bassoon, performing "Dani California" and "hysteria".

The band enter in some style with the drummer launching a chair off the stage.

After failing the first song the drummer screamed at the band to "use the star power". On the second attempt and the second fail the crowd started to chant "off off off".

The second song doesn't go much better and after failing again the drummer proclaimed "I AM METAL" before leaving the building.

Craig was "speechless", Gemma found it frustrating.

Following Shatners Basson was "The Jokers" who entered the stage to much applause, dressed in Joker outfits with full make-up the band take thier places and the singer begins to laugh manically while the audience shouts "show us a magic trick".

They performed "Epic" followed by "Go with the flow"

The band are animated throughout and play up to the cameras with one of the guitarists finding time to harass the other band members, the camera men and the audience.

Craig thought it was the best performance so far, but didn't think that was saying much. Gregg wished he was getting married so that he could book them for the ceremony and Gemma enjoyed the performance.

After the final performance all the bands came back on stage and the results were announced.

Shatners Bassoon, who's drummer was now restrained and gagged! came in fourth place, followed by I stole your car and the Narcoleptic Wombats.

The winners were The Jokers who left the stage to a standing ovation, but not before asking Gemma to marry them.

With that Friday came to an end!

Expect pictures from the day soon..

Gareth Langston
Web Content Coordinator. EA UK.