Last night saw the first of the second-round heats in this year's Battle of the Bands competition, held at Fibbers.

York three-piece Cardboard Radio - second favourites to win the whole contest according to Fibbers' website - surprised nobody by sailing to victory with 35 votes, claiming support from well over half of the audience.

Described by lead singer Andy Gainz as a "three-piece beat combo", Cardboard Radio have won themselves a lot of fans with their eccentric style - and their enthusiastic supporters turned out in full force last night.

Brushing aside some early tuning problems, Gainz remains a charismatic frontman, who, along with fellow guitarist and singer Chord (sic), can pull off some impressively virtuoso playing, amply showed off in songs like the quirky This Had Better Work Or Else.

With their trademark mid-song sudden slowing of pace, the group's best numbers came at the end of their eight-song set with the splendidly theatrical pieces Himheryouandeveryone and Back Alley Girl Blues. Great stuff.

First up last night were the second-placed The Calvo Contract (odds 33/1 to win) - who claimed 21 votes, putting them in a good position to make the final.

Claiming influences from Metallica and Led Zeppelin, the four-piece also saved their finest tunes for last.

Chris Carter as lead singer and guitarist certainly hammered out some powerfully intense vocals that were at times reminiscent of Radiohead's Thom Yorke, but in initial songs these were drowned out by even louder thrashing guitars.

By far their best song was the beautifully melancholic Sense Of December, which Carter told the audience had been signed for a film to be released this summer - and rightly so.

Last, but - to borrow a well-used and justified clich - not least, were Ripon three-piece Toyshelf.

Unfortunately, last night's York audience voted for their own and only gave this funky rock trio eight votes - a sore under-rating of in many ways the most impressive group of the night.

Lead singer Hannah Slater looked like a young Debbie Harry, with her perfectly curled platinum blonde locks and diminutive stature - but, boy, could she sing.

She pounded out six fabulous songs with electrifying attitude - and also proved she could give us a quieter ballad-style at the beginning of Butterflies And Bubbles. Magnificent.