It was, in the words of an infamous Middle East dictator, the Mother of all Battles.

The body count was high - 24 musical wannabees hacked down to just a hopeful famous five.

After 11 minor skirmishes of heats and semi-finals it was time for the real deal, the clash of the region's musical Titans.

At stake was a chance to stand alone at one of the biggest rock shows in the British calendar - The Phoenix Festival.

First up as battle commenced in the 1998 Evening Press/Fibbers Battle of the Bands grand final were Subway.

"This is it!" cried diminutive front man Charlie Floyd, but alas for Subway it wasn't.

The winners of heat two and the third semi-final couldn't make it a hat-trick of success and were shot down in flames.

But they went down fighting with their dizzy fusion of styles and influences combining to make a potent Molotov Cocktail.

Problem Child was a case in point. John Squire guitars, Nirvana-esque tortured vocals with a slice of scratching courtesy of the wheels of steel.

A different slot in the running order and one suspects there may have been a very different result. They deserved better.

With Cognac it was altogether a much simpler story - there was no disguising their musical roots.

They have the nerve to pay homage to The Verve.

The singer has certainly watched the videos - he had the hair, the shirt, the surly stare and even the skinnyness of Richard Ashcroft.

They started off slow - dull, even - but warmed to the task just as the posing was starting to grate.

The songs started to shine through and by their closing number, a lengthy epic of Oasis proportions and Stone Roses guitars, they looked the conquerors they were about to become.

Next up in Operation Stagestorm were Seed. This young thrash band, moulded by the likes of Symposium and 3 Colours Red, were up for it from the word go.

As has become usual at their Fibbers appearances, the mosh pit seethed as they rolled out their armoury of thrash guitars and tried to pummel the opposition into the ground with their Blitzkreig of noise.

Second place, but they can take consolation in the fact that they, together with their barmy army of fans, were perhaps responsible for Fibbers installing crush barriers in the very latter stages of this competition.

Honeytone Cody were well-arranged and sexy. The not-so-dizzy young blonde and lead vocalist, Elle, did her bit for Girl Power.

"The future of rock belongs to women," said Honeytone's general in command. You know who's wearing the trousers in that band.

It wasn't sugar-coated pop but The Breeders-style rock and at least they didn't seem fazed by the ordeal.

Last to put themselves in the firing line were Naked Daze.

This Harrogate indie five piece specialise in loud guitars with the odd hand grenade of a catchy riff thrown in for good measure. They had energy and enthusiasm but, try as they might, they struggled to bring the house down.

So after 12 weeks, Cognac can stand proud and stand a round of drinks.

They're £500 the richer, have one week's recording time worth £750 at the newly digital Old Dairy Studios in Haxby Road in the bag and a date with destiny at Phoenix.

Second prize of £250 went to Seed and third prize of £150 went to Honeytone Cody.

Rock 'n' roll on next year.

Sterling support, as ever, came from Carlsberg-Tetley, MOR Music, Fossgate York, and The Old Dairy Studios, Haxby Road, York.

See the review of the Battle of the Bands final

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.