THE MANAGERS and bar staff of the popular music venues of Camden Town must have been wondering where the hell everyone was on Thursday night.
But if they'd taken a stroll up the high street to a small Irish bar called Tommy Flynn's, all would have immediately become crystal clear.
Because it would have seemed as though the entire contingent of this vibrant part of north London had descended on the packed-out pub for a night of upcoming and emerging musical talent.
It was the setting for Music-News.com's fifth Unsigned Night and anyone arriving after 9pm found themselves in serious danger of watching through the windows as regulars and newcomers alike crammed in along the bar and right up to the stage with barely space to swing a pint.
Four unsigned and equally talented bands made sure they were on the line-up as the ones to watch that night, and none of them disappointed the lively and buzzing audience.
Kicking off the proceedings were the London-based quintet Foxtrot Bravo, who are building up a steady following around London, having recently returned from recording their first EP in Sweden.
With their Blondie-meets-The-Cardigans indie-pop-rock, they soon had the steadily-building crowd tapping their feet as their sultry lead singer Liv Lyons smooched the mike and battered her heavy-lidded eyes at the punters.
Next up were the newly-reformed duo Flaming Vest, who, clad in vests and tracksuit bottoms, gave the initial impression we were in for some Iglu and Hartley-esque pop rap tunes.
So the crowd were pleasantly surprised when they broke into a set of catchy, acoustic guitar indie-pop with soulful vocals.
The third act of the night was Inland Empire, a favourite on the South East music scene and who drew in the biggest crowd of the night.
And what could have been a shaky start when they broke a guitar string, unfazed by what is every musician's biggest fear, they wowed us with a rendition of the Cribs, perfectly glossing over the initial hitch.
And last and most definitely not least were the Barnet-based boys, Minus IQ, whose faces and Muse-esque electro-pop-rock sound were instantly recognisable to those who frequent The Barfly and Proud.
And those unfamiliar with their music soon took them to their hearts and ears as the feisty four-piece gave it their all including a rather enthusiastic jump into the buoyant crowd by their frontman!
All in all, a roaring success, with glowing praise and thunderous applause from the highly-energised audience who were left begging for more.
One thing's for sure - if the popularity of Thursday night set the standard for future Unsigned night's to come, it's highly recommended to arrive by 8pm - or risk missing out on what is fast becoming one of the capital's biggest nights for showcasing future chart-toppers and arena sell-outs.
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