Sudbury singer-songwriter Millie Kirkpatrick win BurySOUND's final heat

The fifth heat of a popular music competition has crowned its last finalist.

The Hunter Club in Bury St Edmunds saw Sub-Liminal, Millie Kirkpatrick, Bamboo Powders, Jett9 and Not Until Four perform tonight.

Last year’s Rising Star winners Queen Dogs closed the night before the winners were announced: Millie Kirkpatrick

The 21-year-old from Sudbury said: “I literally don't know what to say - I'm absolutely speechless.

“There were so many talented people played tonight.

“I'm so excited to play in the final, it's going to be amazing."

First to hit the stage tonight were teen rockers Sub-Liminal who delivered a punky punch of crunchy, distorted riffs.

The group’s vocalist mesmerised the audience with a performance reminiscent of a young Siouxsie Sioux - a fantastic opener.

An acoustic set from Millie Kirkpatrick followed which was full of promising songwriting akin to Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers.

Her tracks were a refreshing change of pace for BurySOUND with her softly country voice and strong bittersweet melodies.

Bamboo Powders gave a uniquely experimental loop pedal set radiating some Black MIDI energy.

Despite some technical issues, the 18-year-old’s guitar work was beautifully bizarre as he slid around the fretboard creating some wonderfully chaotic moments.

Next up was the ferocious Jett9 who got the front row moshing to their anthemic metal sound.

The band’s set was loud, heavy and loaded with luscious guitar parts that shook the Hunter Club stage.

Not Until Four closed the competition with some energetic pop punk echoing Blink 182 and Green Day.

The four piece were on top form and filled me with nostalgia like watching Kerrang! in 2006 - the good old days.

The final act of the night was a fantastic set from Queen Dogs who walked away from last year's final with the Rising Star award.

If you couldn’t make the gig tonight, click below to listen to our BurySOUND 2023 Spotify playlist featuring recent singles and popular tracks from this year’s competitors.

Millie Kirkpatrick will join Anorak, Bluefeed, Outbound and Ikarus for the grand final at The Apex on Friday, April 14 where last year’s winners Collars will be headlining.

To book your tickets for the final, click here.

Which band will be crowned this year’s BurySOUND champions? Send me an email to sam.harrison@iliffepublishing.co.uk.