Spotted Atrocious Wins Battle of the Bands

[Meaghan McCafferty]

It’s nine o’clock on a stormy Friday night, as droplets pound the ground and steam rises from the pavement in the lot of The Blarney Stone thunder rumbles in the distance. Inside, the five members of Spotted Atrocious are gearing up to be the first of three acts to play in this Battle of the Bands. A group of intellectual and polite Northeastern boys who grew up obsessing over everything from The Beatles and Queen to Phish, Thrice and NOFX, Spotted Atrocious is anxious to surprise the crowd with their intense and diversified set. From the moment they cram themselves onto the stage they leave behind any indication that they have been jamming together for less than a year. They open with “Give You My Name,” the brand spanking new song penned by singer and guitarist Ryan Warfield with music written by drummer Chris Hall. Listening to the opener can only be likened to mistakenly chewing on bubble gum packaged in barbed wire. Challenging the conventions of barroom music from the onset, there is no backing down from this moment on. As the first song climaxes in an onslaught of musical dexterity fueled by aggression and anguish Spotted Atrocious manages to dispel any fear that they are just another cookie-cutter band.

[Meaghan McCafferty]

Their thirty minute set extends to over forty minutes, but no one complains. The crowd turns into a swaying, head bopping mob, screaming out the lyrics along with Warfield, hanging on every word. When he asks management how many more songs they can play, someone in the crowd shouts out “six more songs!” Had they played their full catalog, the audience would have stood captivated until the very end. Warfield’s compulsive honesty can not only be heard, but is deeply felt and each experience shared is one not soon forgotten. Each word he sings is an embodiment of the desire to encapsulate the communal sentiments of a society they are not only a part of, but are fighting for. From personal heartaches to cultural critiques we are lead on an passionate journey toward that reflects a wide variety of personalities and individuals.

[Meaghan McCafferty]

What sets Spotted Atrocious apart from the two other talented bands of the night is their uncanny chemistry. With guitarist Liam Tinney’s explosive solo during “Blow it Out Your Ass,” the crowd erupts into cheers, people stand on their barstools to get a closer look and no one would dream of peeling their eyes from the stage. At that moment keyboardist Mark Mullen manages to tap into the energy of his bandmates and drag the crowd into his frenzied culmination of electronica and rock. The sound throbbing from the speakers is driven by Chris Hall’s punishment of his drumset; his technical mastery is undeniable, throughout the entire performance he doesn’t miss a beat. The backbone of the sound comes courtesy of Mitchell Way whose intensity and skill on his five string bass infects the other four musicians with his inspired and sincere enthusiasm.

[Meaghan McCafferty]

They end their set with the aptly titled “Dirty Ending,” a song that begins as a quiet storm and evolves into a tidal wave, an all out jam session, each member acutely aware of the contribution he is making as sound waves crash onto the audience. After removing their equipment from the stage and offering well wishes to both other bands, the crowd remains awed by their performance. At the end of the night, after an impressive set by another West Chester band, The Courage Pills, judges Joe Ordway and Pat Mulhern, along with input from The Blarney Stone staff made the final decision. In a unaminous decision, Spotted Atrocious comes away from the evening victorious. Described as having an original and interesting sound in a set where they made no mistakes, Spotted Atrocious is scheduled to play in the final round due to take place in September. They are sure to bring even more to the table at the next round. The winner of the finals receives a cash prize, a write up in Domain magazine, and will be invited to headline at the Home and Garden show in Devon.