There was much hype surrounding the Random Hand, JB Conspiracy gig; I had anticipated it for two months and I finally saw it last night, 15th January 2008. Having been a huge fan of Random Hand for a while now, the prospect of them coming to Darlington was very exciting.

First on stage was Darlington's very own Splashback. I had not heard this band before but was not disappointed by their performance. Their fast punk rock beats and lyrics about atheism kept me intrigued and I know that most of the crowd didn't know what to expect either, but they were certainly not disappointed.

Next was QE's Battle of the Bands winners the Hornosexuals. Having a very similar sound to that of the Hot Quiche Conspiracy, their brassy music and funny lyrics kept the crowd wanting more. At the end they did their famous Deal or no Deal' theme which made their set complete and everyone seemed equally impressed. This ten piece band are certainly very talented and I think they will make an even bigger name for themselves in and around Darlington.

One of the headlining bands was on next, this being JB Conspiracy. I have been a fan of this band for some time now before finally seeing them live. They had lots of energy and were amazing to watch. The crowd loved them and danced around to their ska beats.

Finally, the last band on stage was Random Hand. I had waited months to see this band and I loved every minute of it. With their first song "Play some ska" even people who hadn't seen this band before knew the chorus and were singing away to them. I loved the energy the band had. This metal ska band is certainly the best band I have seen live in a long time, and I will definitely see them the next time they are touring around Darlington.

All bands have a myspace so you should check them out and maybe see them at their shows that are coming up.

Amanda Watson