I have spent the past three Thursday nights being deafened by cheap guitars and sozzled by free booze whilst helping to judge my local (Cambridge) band competition.

I don't get to as many gigs as I used to so I'd forgotten just how great 'local' bands can be. We forget that all the bands we hear on the radio or see on the shelves of record stores are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of people making a racket and trying to get heard out there.
And while by and large they are the best ones, often many great bands get overlooked because they aren't cocky enough or they aren't commercial enough and they never managed to lose the dreaded 'local' status.

Persuing the local band scene is a little like going to the first day at Wimbledon if you aren't up to speed on your tennis. There's some great players there but you have no idea who they are or when and where they'll be playing - and the remaining 90 per cent are chancers without a hope.

From last night's heat I was almost shocked by the quality of these jazz hip hop chaps,

http://www.myspace.com/jtreole

However having seen and heard them a few times I reckon these moody rockers are most likely to get anywhere from the local scene.

http://www.myspace.com/thewinterkings

And these country blues twangers are my personal favourites. I've seen them several times now and they are just fantastic every time - they occaisonally play further afield so make sure you check them out at a folk festival or dingy pub backroom near you.

http://www.myspace.com/theshiversband

Broken Family Band are from round our way but I think they've shaken the local tag off now.

Anyone else got the next Radiohead playing in their local every Friday night?