303’s Menage a Trois Oh Trois triumphs in Bullshit Battle of the Ad Bands

The Irish Club was packed on Friday night for a sensational 2010 Bullshit Battle of the Ad Bands, and what a show it was.

Gatecrasher’s AC/GC immediately whipped the crowd into a frenzy with Bon Jovi’s anthemic Livin’ on a Prayer followed by Metallica classic Enter Sandman. The night was off to a flying start.

Naughty Hawke’s (Brainestorm) set included a rousing rendition of Easybeats Aussie classic Sorry. And as judge Count Tim Count said, it was great to see the legendary Gary Taylor on stage again. Encore next year boys.

303’s Menage a Trois Oh Trois featured the darkhorse vocal talents ofRene Migliore (who knew he could sing like that?!) upfront withDonna-Marie Gavin and with a very tight band behind them. Their musicalcoherence and some clever song choices saw them through to the final.

Meertwats changed the tone a bit with a swingin’ country song called Home,which featured some top vocal interplay between Kurt Beaudoin and’Hootenanny’ Hayley Parker. They were one of CB’s favourites but alas,didn’t make it to the final.

Marketforce’s Rich Black  and the 5 Mils Bleed was the surprisepacket of the night. The audience expected the worst when six men inkilts and a cow walked on stage but their entertaining, foot-stompingbracket had everyone rockin’ again after the half-way break.

Hoochy Coochy – featuring the shit-hot guitar of Double G’s PaulSiciliano – made our ears bleed with suitably loud versions of Guns & Roses’ You Could Be Mine and The Sex Pistols’ Pretty Vacant.

The Brand Agency’s Two Songs Max rounded out the seven band line-upwith a theatrical start to their set, which spanned the decades withThe Ramones’ Sedated followed by Nancy Sinatra’s These Boots Are Made For Walking.

With the toughest job of the night, judges Wayne Vinten, John Ilian andTim Count chose three finalists based on musical coherence,originality, visual presentation and crowd reaction. And so Rich Blackand the 5 Mils Bleed, Menage a Trois Oh Trois and Two Songs Maxcontested the ‘rock-off’. In a unanimous decision, Menage’s slow-starting but fast-finishing version of Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart won the final and the perpetual trophy was headed back to 435 Roberts Road.

However, if the standard this year is anything to go by, they’ll have their work cut out retaining it next year.

Thanks to the work of the WA Youngbloods and RT Films’ Ross Tinney,the Bullshit Battle of the Ad Bands has become one of the mostsuccessful and fun nights on the industry’s calendar.

And thanks to Gatecrasher’s Stef Langton for capturing the night in these images.