The ObjectorZ vs. The #1s in Whelan’s Upstairs on February 15th 2013

‘Four on four…no weapons…winner takes all’ The event page offers a tantalising promise of a gig of Thunderdomian proportions in advance of a head-to-head between stalwarts The ObjectorZ and relative youngsters The #1s. Post-midnight is the time, upstairs in Whelan’s is the place. Eight men enter…four men begin.

The ObjectorZ are first up, fooling a few heads with the soundcheck. Someone can’t hear the vocals. “I’ll sing louder” – this is a good sign. They kick things off with a Motörhead style run through and the scene is set. The stage from left to right hosts a hair flailing guitarist, a bloomin’ mod playing bass, a drummer pulling all sorts of facial contortions and a deep growl housed inside a man with another guitar.

Their set lifts off with Can’t Sit Still and its nice vocal interplay, and the band come alive. For follower One Way Conversation a mosh pit has bizarrely sprung up in the rear part of the upstairs room, causing much shaking of floorboards and pints, and as the set goes on the band stretch out and the drummer fills like fuck. It’s 10 O’clock – it’s not really – is pub rock hiked up a few notches, morphing into Say It Now as the band pitch forward to a rock’n’roll finale.

The #1’s are a different beast, specialising in a more lo-fi garage sound. The guitarists share vocals throughout, beginning with all one and a half minutes of 3:16. It’s infectious indie from the offset, the energy never relenting for the duration of a fine set. He’s Too Good For Everyone Else But He’s Not Good Enough For You is a snappy blast of Buzzcocks thrash – Anything and a cracker about a smashed heart (we didn’t catch the name) continue the trend.

Someone snaps a string so while he re-tools the band provide the unexpected treat of a faithful cover of The Undertones Get Over You. Finally re-strung, he joins in for the final few bars. Tell Me Why remains a Goldenplec favourite and I Wanna be Your Boyfriend with its Phil Spector drumbeats manages to be shouty and classy, all four band members contributing on the vocal.

So, who won? We did, that’s who, catching two rockin’ sets of a different hue delivered with passion and good humour. Here’s hoping these head to head gigs become more of a feature in the Whelan’s upstairs venue.