Cambridge Junction’s Fiver – 15 th May 2015

Pay £5 (plus £1 booking fee), watch a load of up-and-coming bands and have a great evening; that’s pretty much what the Fiver is. Now a tradition in Cambridge, the city’s teens flock to the pit, aware of the awesome evening that awaits them. Whether it’s the Fiver Fest, the Fiver Acoustic or just the regular one, you’re pretty much guaranteed to be happy with your decision.

Diversity is something that the Fiver always provides, and this one was certainly no exception. 6 bands, 6 completely different styles, 6 things that will cover a broad range of styles, there was definitely something for everyone. I got to have a chat with four of the bands, and I found that all of them have something in common; they’re local bands wanting to build a fan base, and the Fiver’s perfect for that.

The evening overall I really enjoyed, and it’s certainly something that I’d go to again. All of the bands had a certain flare to what they were doing, but some really stood out and impressed me a lot. It had a really good vibe (I sound weird saying that but it’s true) and the atmosphere in the room was fantastic. I was told that this night was a quiet one, yet the room still buzzed and everyone seemed to have a great time.

The first band was Stormdreamer, and something really stuck out to me about them. They were 13 and 14 years old. Firstly, wow. To be getting decent gigs at that age is pretty astonishing, but they also seemed surprisingly professional about the band. They wrote their own songs, were looking into recording and had a whole line of gigs lined up. I would say that they were my least favourite band of the night, as they seemed to be the least put- together out of the groups. I wouldn’t be surprised if they appear at the Junction again, as they really got the audience involved and made a really good start for the evening.

Next, The Saps. These looked like a bunch of sixth-form students who were clearly a popular band amongst their friends, as they had a good amount of them there. I would say they’re along the same kind of style as Arctic Monkeys and The 1975, both musically and visually. They’d appeal mostly to mid-late teens as it’s the kind of lighter, pop-rock that goes down well. Personally, I found them really enjoyable and a great band to watch, and I wasn’t the only one as the rest of the room was bopping along to their songs. They didn’t play any covers, which meant we got a real taste of their personal style – I wouldn’t be surprised to see headline shows in the near future.

Up next, Horse Party - named as so because Ellie, singer and guitarist, wouldn’t be in a band that didn’t have horse somewhere in it. They were possibly one of the cheeriest bands I’ve ever spoken to – they’re clearly musicians for the fun of it. The thing that really stood out about their live performance is how incredibly energetic they are. Seymour, the guitarist was incredibly hard to photograph because he was constantly jumping around! (He told me that when he was younger, he thought he’d be a good guitarist because he couldn’t play fast enough, which I now know is a complete lie.) They were quite a bit ‘heavier’ than the other bands, reminding me of older rock bands like Nirvana, without the shouty vocals. I think they’d appeal to slightly older listeners than the last band, as they’re not the typical pop-rock that goes down best with the younger generation.

And now, Sleeve of Hearts. These seemed to be the most travelled band – in that they’ve been together quite a while and also drove a few hours to get to Cambridge – and I had some good tour stories from the guys (which I won’t share to save embarrassment). Their musical style was totally different to what I expected from their appearance – much calmer. The guitarist had a huge – I mean huge – ear stretcher and the singer was a skinhead, yet they played melodic songs that were really nice to listen to. Similar to Horse Party, they’d be more aimed at older listeners; they’re not as moshable to, which is a really important part of concerts to ‘the youth’.

Second to last were 28 Boulevard. These were the first band that I spoke to, and I sat with them for probably an hour because they were such lovely guys, great to chat to. I really loved their live performance also, they were really energetic which made the audience happy to jump around and everyone was having a great time. Their performance was my favourite of the evening and I’d happily attend another one of their shows voluntarily. I don’t really know who I’d relate them to band wise, and neither did they, as they’re really unique and I like how they bring all their different styles together. Side note – by far my favourite band to photograph.

Last on, Flux 32. Honestly, I didn’t see them. The timing went a bit off which meant it was 10:50 before they were starting. My mum was picking me up at 11 (my mum is cool and we listened to Fleetwood Mac on the way back so stop laughing at me) so I had to get my stuff, which was a real shame as I’d loved to have finished the evening, but life is life. I did see multiple people wearing Flux 32 band tops though, which is always a good sign. The overall flow of the night lead me to believe that these would be the best, as they were pretty much chosen as the headliners.

After never being to a Fiver event before, I would say that it’s a great evening that could appeal to pretty much anyone. So many music tastes are covered that you’ll find at least one good band that you’d want to listen to in the future. And it costs the same amount as a Maccy Ds, so can you really go wrong?