"Wednesday night saw the new line of Radar gigs, titled ‘Under The Radar’ – a chance to showcase new and upcoming bands that may have otherwise slipped under your radar. The free gig saw a decent sized crowd migrate to Yours and Owls, to catch local bands Sherekhan, Without Parachutes, The Omissions and This Mess showcase their talents. (Note: Unfortunately this reviewer had to miss the last band of the night This Mess.)
The night kicked off with Sherekhan – a newly formed group made up of previous members from the popular ‘Young Braves’ and some new talent. After impressing with their unibar ‘Battle of The Bands’ gig, and with a steadily growing fan base, Sherekhan are probably one of the better new and upcoming local bands that have come out this year. Fronted by ‘Rivers’ Scott, the young group displayed a dynamic and original sound. Instrumentally the band was tight and didn’t hit a sour note. Lead guitarist Shaun Baxter played with a great energy that isn’t normally easy to convey on a stage with limited movement such as the one at Owls, and Scott’s vocals were spot on all night. Original songs such as ‘Atlas’ impressed the growing crowd, as did the Kings of Leon cover of ‘Mollys Chambers.’ The highest accolades that can be given to Sherekhan is the originality and prowess of their music – it’s hard to believe that they really only formed this year. Watch out for these guys – with a few more gigs up their sleeve, they’ll be ready to take on the Illawarra music scene by storm.
After the raw energy of Sherekhan, the mood was slowed down when Without Parachutes took the stage, with frontman William Cruger flying solo for the night. Having not heard this band before, I was extremely impressed with everything about the chilled set. Cruger was a captivating frontman and had an amazing vocal range. His original songs were impressive and he also threw in some covers for the crowd, which also didn’t fall short. To be able to take on a song like Matt Corby’s ‘Brother’ and cover it extremely well is a feat all in itself. Original song ‘Distance’ was also amazing to hear live, with Cruger being able to showcase his impressive vocals. Without Parchutes/Cruger played an entertaining set – made even more entertaining by one of his friends who demonstrated some interesting dance-moves and also wanted to make an adamant point that Cruger is apparently single. There you go ladies.
The Omissions have been making a name for themselves, with their mix of rock and funk music. As soon as the band took the stage, the energy of the crowd changed. The opening song already had people bopping away and pulling out some dance moves. While vocally they weren’t the strongest band of the night, they were definitely the most energetic and proved to be a popular hit, and thoroughly entertaining to watch. Songs such as ‘You Ain’t Ever’ demonstrated their tongue in cheek nature, and the new songs were also impressive. Another local band you definitely don’t want to miss catching live.
Keep an eye on Radar for the next Radar Presents gig. With many new up and coming bands, there has never been a better time to celebrate live music in the Illawarra."
