Ostend Blog:
Saturday 2nd May

Early birds. Given that Belgian beer doesn’t contain the type of chemical enhancements as the usual pint in your UK local, it should come as no surprise that it gives you a bad head in the morning – it’s too pure…

Pickled egg

A pint of Carling and a pickled egg in a bag of crisps never does this to you…

Still, up at the crack of 9.00am and back to the Kursaal for the delights of the B Section.

Market research

The talk about yesterday’s contest went on long into the night and we did our usual bit of market research too – mostly in the couple of local bars we visited.

The overall consensus seems to be that at the moment that it is a two way fight between Cory and Eikanger, with the Welsh just having the edge. Nobody else we spoke to had any other band in the frame.

After this pair it is much more interesting though.

Just outside is the beach too – it’s like Blackpool without the smell of stale burger fat and the puddles of sick from Hen parties4BR

Lots of votes

Lots of votes for the Austrians of Oberosterreich, with Treize Etoile, Tredegar and Whitburn in that order. A few people we spoke to liked the bravura approach of the local bands from Belgium and Holland too, although only a couple of real diehard Yorkshiremen (and 4BR’s Anthony Banwell) had Grimethorpe in the mix.

We have been following Tredegar’s fortunes this weekend and they seemed very pleased – although the MD did raise a few concerns over a couple of moments in the piece where he thought not everything went to plan. They know they still have a great deal of work to do though today.

Grimethorpe

As for Grimethorpe? It seems it wasn’t just 4BR who thought it was edgy. They will need to do something special it seems today to really force their way back into the mix. If any band can do it then its Grimey, but it is asking a lot. They were hard at work late into the night we were told.

Lots of great own choices today too – it should be a treat.

Full hall

It was great to see the hall so full all day too. A fine test piece from Jan Van der Roost helped a great deal, but there was no doubt that the overall standard this year was perhaps the highest it has been in recent memory. Even the bands who did find it hard going, delivered very worthy shows. It’s proving to be a very popular event in a great hall.

15 hours to go

Just outside is the beach too – it’s like Blackpool without the smell of stale burger fat and the puddles of sick from Hen parties.

As we sit here listening to the B Section, even our bad heads are starting to clear… Only another 15 hours to go to the results too.