Live Review: The Big Splash Grand Final

Well, after a few months of ultra-competitive, uh, competition, the first ever Big Splash band comp culminated in a night which, fittingly, has come up just before RTR's Radiothon and the WAMi awards – because it wouldn't be surprising, after the success of its first incarnation, if it became a regular yearly fixture in the local scene.

It all boiled down to four insanely talented acts, all representing a niche or genre, all original and talented. Scalphunter were the first up, and pretty much had everything sorted – from the ridiculous energy thrown off the stage, to the merch desk set up at the back of the venue. Replete in matching denim vests, the four-piece gathered headliner-like energy at the start of the night, getting kids down the front and, like they did in their previous heat, creating a mosh in a place that usually doesn't see too much moshing.

Dianas were up next, having pretty big shoes to fill after the onslaught before them. But as they glided into their catchy-as-hell, dream-poppy surf rock, the crowd were enchanted. The three ladies ripped through a range of material, and did an admirable job of spacing out their harder-poppier numbers with the more lo-fi stuff.

These Winter Nights were the next to grace the stage, keeping a general sense of ethereal groove going. Coming out of some kind of Jeff Buckley/Damien Rice/Arcade Fire tip, the five-piece's greatest strength is in building layer upon layer of sound to stunning crescendos, time after time. While, as in their previous heat, the quieter parts led to incremental audience noise, they managed to re-gather attention as they exploded into the various rock-outs that make up their music.

Apache were last up, and had the crowd in their collective hands from the get-go. Pushed on by the ever-effervescent Tim Gordon out front, the entire band were obviously enjoying themselves, busting out their soul and R&B-tinged rock tracks with reckless abandon at parts. They had an extraordinary flow, and their undeniable charm really put them into the game.

A few hours and a few beers in, and the comp was basically over. As previous entrants Villain accepted their Enchantment Award (those kids will be very big soon, keep an eye on them), the anticipation built. Dianas claimed runner up, before the indomitable Scalphunter, in giddy fashion, ran on stage to claim their $10,000 cheque. With talent like this, all four of these bands will be going a long way soon, and isn't that what it's all about anyway?