An event that offers free crumpets on the door has to be a good thing. Right? Well that was one ofthe many delights that the Masque Theatre offered at the Snub Festival. That wasn’t the chief attraction that enticed the multitude to this event though.

The chance to see new, upcoming and unsigned bands was the real draw.

Open from 5 to 11pm and only a quid on the door (all going to a good cause), the Snub Festival faced real competition from this year’s Hub Festival (proceeds not going to a good cause) and it seemed to be a gamble that paid off.

The event raised much needed funds for CALM, Merseyside’s excellent men’s mental health charity, and the Forum Housing Association, which supports homeless young people in Merseyside.

We didn’t arrive until late but the place was rocking. As soon as we entered we were greeted by a band consisting of two guitars and a banjo called “The ratty little fingers”. They seemed to be enjoying themselves as did the audience gathered round. This was the kind of diversity that the Snub Festival offered.

The bands were spread over two rooms and a “secret” room. In the Loft room we discovered “WhiteHeat”, a band that was a cross between Scouting for Girls and something from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The lead vocalist and keyboard player, oozing confidence and a pretty good vocal display something akin to the grandiose sounds of Meatloaf. For such a young band they certainly seemed tight and not afraid to address the audience in a refreshingly direct manner.

We eventually found the “secret” room which held various MC artists playing to a small crowd. Very intimate and pretty unique.

All in all a great event. Hats of to the Masque for coming up with an event that seeks to highlight the new and original music coming out of Liverpool and allowing this talent to get the experience and the exposure they need if they’re to stand a chance of making it. And yes the crumpets were lovely!

Thomas Lennon
Music Mafia