Tensions ran high at Battle of the Bands when members of Streetlight Revival and Wayside nearly came to blows.
An argument broke out between the two bands over the fan’s positive response to Wayside. They began shoving each other, and the two bands had to be forcibly separated to prevent any further physical violence.
Streetlight Revival accused Wayside of hoarding fans by soliciting support from fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha and sorority Phi Mu.
Members of both bands belong to the PIKE fraternity. Streetlight Revival seemed outraged after seeing the unevenness in fan support.
Kellyn Rose, one of the Battle of the Band attendees, said, “I don’t see why they’re fighting. It’s second place. They both lost.”
The audience seemed shocked as the winners of Battle of the Bands were announced. Wayside, the fan favorite, came in second place, losing to Shayliff.
Only seconds after the winning band had been announced, the stands echoed with boos, and the majority of the crowd began loudly chanting Wayside’s name.
Many fans were outraged by the results. Some even blamed the University for the controversy.
Morgan Hoggan, a Wayside fan, said, “This is why ULM doesn’t have any fan support. Every one clearly wanted Wayside to win. They’re actually from here.”
Other fans, including Taylor Sheppard, a ULM student, agreed. She said, “[Shayliff is] opening for Tech in a few days. We’re going to look like copycats.”
Many fans seemed to believe Shayliff was chosen based not on their talent, but on their preexisting fame.
Kaitlyn Byrnside, a ULM student, said, “Why were they even allowed to compete? They never even went to school here.”
Shayliff said they are excited to work with The Fray.
Jacob McGarry, Shayliff’s bassist, said, “We love The Fray. They’re one of our biggest inspirations.”
Shay Bailiff, lead vocalist and rhythm guitar,ist said, “We love playing here. ULM is one of our favorite venues.”
Shayliff was awarded a $500 prize and said they couldn’t wait to be back.
Hudson • Mar 29, 2012 at 9:51 am
I was there for the entire competition and for the most part what you both are saying are correct but I would like to clear up a few things.
To clear the air, yes there were a few words exchanged between the two bands, but the initial argument was started by someone who was NOT a member of either band. This story is not a very accurate reflection of what happened and its a shame that the ULM battle of the bands was turned into something so negative over one small instance.
Lastly, I agree Shayliff was a very good band and are probably the best fit to open for the Fray. However, even though Wayside did play a medley of covers that I feel was to get the crowd involved, I know that they DID play an ORIGINAL song because the lead singer mentioned it before they proceeded to play the set. The Original was the only song that they played they entire length, the covers were only a minute or so of each.
The competition was fun to watch and I got to witness a lot of great bands. Between Shayliff’s well polished sound and Wayside’s performance and local popularity, I feel that the top two winners were appropriately picked.
Hunt • Mar 26, 2012 at 8:39 pm
First and foremost, I had never heard any of the bands perform prior to Friday night. Admittedly, I came late and did not see the first band perform, so I feel that my opinion on the quality of every group is less than expert.
However, I can comment on the quality of the bands I did see. While Wayside had obvious support from their decked out fans, they performed a medley of cover versions of popular songs. I never got to see anything unique about Wayside, and, quite frankly, I would have been embarrassed to have a cover band represent our school in any capacity. In comparison, Shayliff appeared to be more polished and more prepared, and, most importantly, they had their own voice. They were better than Wayside.
Again, I can’t comment on if the judges picked the BEST band out of the total number, considering I don’t have the resources to make that decision. However, they picked the BETTER band out of the two being so highly compared, and those complaining are merely demonstrating their sour grapes.
Victoria Johns • Mar 26, 2012 at 1:18 pm
This seems to be somewhat of a biased article. Having been there & witnessed the whole thing, I know for a fact this is not how things happened. The initial fight was instigated by someone who is not a member of either band. The better band won, hands down. Wayside was not the best band there. They didn’t deserve to win.