By John Redmond
Contributing Writer
Following four weeks of healthy competition amongst some of Koreas most promising young bands comprised of local and foreign musicians, often mixed in the same band, Seoul power trio Galaxy Express took top honors to win the Stompers Battle of the Bands at Ole’ Stompers Rock Spot in Itaewon, Saturday.
Playing to a packed audience of more than 200 music enthusiasts, young Galaxy Express put on a dynamite performance that literally blew the opposition away, leaving no doubt in the judges minds, this scribe being one throughout the contest, that Seoul is definitely on the map when it comes to producing rock acts of world class quality.
Competing against finalists the Pines, Rabiheim and wild card Saint John the Gambler, the 1,000 won prize money was up for the taking, with Saint John the Gambler showing equal potential throughout the battle due to their strong stage presence, dynamic song writing talent and diverse musicianship.
Rabiheim had one of the tighter sets but failed to impress overall due to their set sounding too similar to the previous heat.
There were a few a few hiccups earlier in the night with the Pines getting off to a late start due to their drummer being late and uncontactable, but for the most part the Stompers Battle of the Bands proved that Ole Stompers Rock Spot is emerging as Seoul’s premier indie rock venue.