Once again the Top of the Town, in Omagh, played host to three of the best rising bands on the Northern Irish circuit. This time we were treated to three Tyrone bands and first up were the newly named Once Before Take Off, formerly known as The Soviets. The band take influences from a wide range of artists including Biffy Clyro, Bob Dylan and Foo Fighters and their genre could be defined as post punk, alternative rock. Included in their set was fan favourite "You Know Best", which is an original of the band and has a great lively introduction which gets a few, albeit drunk, dancers on the floor and plenty of feet tapping. It's probably the most recognisable of their songs and the one everyone remembers them for. Other songs played by the band include "Jump" and "Effective Directive" - I think it was called. Each song got a good response from their loyal local fans and deservedly so! I've seen this band perform on numerous occasions and they have steadily improved every time. They are still very young and can only improve with more experience and exposure. The band are extremely tight as a unit, despite the new drummer only being with the band for a short time, which shows how much hard work and dedication the band have put in to perfecting their sound. With a number of Belfast gigs under their belt, it won't be long until this band are supporting some major artists! Keep an eye out for these guys; they may be ones to watch for in the future.

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Cheered on by a small pocket of supporters Once Before Take Off, formerly 'The Soviets' took to the stage. With heavy influences such as 'Biffy Clyro' and 'Foo Fighters', the music toed the line of metal, but didn't quite cross it. The Alice Kona Band was a hard act to follow, and Once Before Take Off may have suffered because of the energy of the previous performance. Each song was met with no more than a short wave of applause, except for the small gathering of fans and friends near the bar who loyally sang and danced along. It would be unfair to say the Omagh quartet deserved the relatively bad crowd response, as they are unquestionably one of the tightest bands on the local circuit. Their set was topped off apologetically with a repeat of Dead Vito's cover of 'Saturday Superhouse', which, possibly due to the additional guitar, sounded significantly better than the first band's attempt. Once Before Take Off are certainly a band to watch out for and should be in with a shout of supporting Biffy Clyro in St George's Market, if a local act is needed.

Not bad for our 1st show

We will be known as Once Before Take-Off. From now on, the name change heralds a new chapter for the band. Soviets Tracks will remain up for the time being. New Tracks in the coming weeks and months.

Once Before Take-Off are:-

Adam Young - Guitar and Vocals
Mark McFarland - Guitar
Ross Morrison - Bass
Darragh Tracey - Drums