photography by Robin Maggs

The Missing Link

I was recently given the task of providing my first report for Beatrwtz. The venue was going to be Cwmaman. Tucked away in the Welsh Valleys, this run of the mill Welsh village is the home of welsh group Stereophonics, who incidentally I am a big fan of. The gig held on October the 29^th and was a collection of 7 unsigned rock bands (Six on the night as one dropped out), blasting out the notes for Welsh rock fans and promoted by local lad Craig Chapman.

It would be on this night that I discovered like an arsonist discovers fire the unsigned wonders know simply as Hunted. At this point I would like to say it never fails to amaze me how passionate, natural and untouched unsigned bands are much like myself before I became a choir boy in my early teens.

Now I am going to be brutally honest, I didn’t expect a lot from these guys, firstly these guys look like they should be in a exhibit in a museum somewhere entitled “The missing link”, and secondly they had an eau De Student to them (meaning that this was  hobby for them). These guys took to the stage and within seconds proved me wrong as I was hooked. The lead singer who’s name I missed, could quite easily have passed as the love child of Freddy Mercury and Lemme from Motorhead, spilled a voice that I was know where near expecting from such a small frame. Obnoxious, big and full of personality, no not a description of myself but the best descriptions for Hunted’s sounds. I Mean these guys didn’t just take to the stage they owned the stage, they made the night their own. When these guys were hitting out the guitar rifts with almost demonic facial gestures you couldn’t help but be in awe I mean I was taking every note with them, these guys oozed charisma. It a really cliché term I know but many unsigned bands really lack that X Factor™  whether its charisma, stage presence, talent or overall just that edge that makes them stand out from every other band, but what ever you define it as these guys not only had it, but they could produce it and sell it as they had loads.

I would like to finish by saying that if there is any justice or taste in the world then I would guarantee these guys would be a household name to any rock fan within the next 5 years, and quite frankly if they are not I will gladly take a knife and fork and eat one of my many wool hats.

by Earl David Robert Lewis

you can email Hunted at huntedrock@hotmail.co.uk or huntedband@hotmail.co.uk

and you can check the boys out at www.myspace.com/huntedrock