I spent almost two hours putting together a post that would have won me all manner of gold statues and sexual favours, and then Explorer decided to close. For No Apparent Reason. But it's OK, I punched some pillows, invented an elaborate fantasy where I stuffed Bill Gates into the tiniest locker in the world with some scarabs - like The Mummy if the mummy was Biff from Back to the Future - and caressed my iPod for a few minutes just to spite him.

Anyway, kids, today I'm talking about a couple of the bands who have beat out 60 other acts to make it to the grand final of the Sydney Uni Band Competition. While the rest of us have been buried under mountains of textbooks, beavering away at our studies, these guys have been frantically trying to think of names, borrowing equipment, rehearsing and then taking over Manning. Tomorrow's final is a smorgasbord of brand new tasty snacks. Following in the footsteps of previous winners The Vines, Frenzal Rhomb, Front End Loader and, er, Tim Freedman from The Whitlams, will be:

Cloud Control! Didn't I tell ya they were awesome? Weeks ago I told ya! Regular readers will know how I feel about this band. To sample from the Chilis, they give me that funny feeling in my tummy. And I ain't talkin 'bout no salmonella. Fucking magic live, too.

UPDATE: I could not be prouder if they were my own children. CC took away the grand prize of $2500 and will be appearing as Sydney's representatives at the State Band Comp, held at Manning on October 24th. The crowd went wild and we all got blind. Brilliant night. Congratulations to the Cloud kids and also to super FLORENCE jam and Richard In Your Mind, who took out second and third respectively.

Cloud Control - Look There.mp3

The Emma Davis Band! This girl has a voice that tugs at you, at once warm and haunting, fuzzy round the edges like an old photo of someone you haven't seen in years. You'll see her with her band tomorrow night, but even with just an acoustic guitar you can hear the bittersweet strength that threads through her melodies.

Emma Davis - Fisherman.mp3

Richard In Your Mind! I heard their demo on FBi a few months back and I love the sound. It's something you'd put on a mixtape for getting high on a picnic blanket, holding your hands up to a blue sky and marvelling at their funny shape, in between a Wolf Parade song and some Flaming Lips. I will be most intrigued to see them live.

Richard In Your Mind - The New Sun.mp3

super FLORENCE jam! These boys rock so good (I mean, well) that even this English nerd can forgive them the annoying capitalisation. SClub's own Fauce proclaims himself a fan of a little sFj spread on his morning toast, and we do love a band we can fit into our bread-based-foodstuffs analogy. Anyway, listen to the vocal cords on this bloke!

super FLORENCE jam - Dream.mp3

Rex Banner! If you like your tunes frenetic, loud and angry, this is for you. I dig the Simpsons reference, although it doesn't quite seem to fit their blend of punkish fury and metal riffs. But there were more bands in this vein at the start of this comp than there were black fingernails at Taste Of Chaos, so clearly they've that something special to be the last ones standing.

Rex Banner - X The Eliminator.mp3 (MySpace download)

Justin Zelzer and the Stage Fright Trio! - this fella (yes, it's a solo act - geddit?) doesn't have anything online to look at or download. Now, an artist without MySpace is like a kid at uni wearing a plain t-shirt. It's like...Huh? But... how do you declare your musical inclinations? Your political stance? Your brand of humour? How do I define you without knowing your taste in funky graphics??? But I've heard the word "awesome" applied to him by several different parties.

Anyway, the best way to find out is to head down to Manning Bar for 6.30 tomorrow night (Thursday for the chronologically challenged) and join the throng. Crowds, tunes, lights, cutthroat competition- it's like Idol, only you don't have to put up with a couple of shitty haircuts telling the performers they're "just not feeling it, mate", and none of these guys will be supporting Mark Holden at Terry Hills RSL in six months' time.