好色先生TV

鈥淲e鈥檙e Zero Charm and we play rock 鈥榥鈥� roll music,鈥� announced the suitably rock 鈥榥鈥� roll cowboy hat-wearing guitarist from Balfour Beatty鈥檚 band as they took to the stage.

It鈥檚 that time of year when architects tune up their axes, contractors crank it up to 11 and quantity surveyors 鈥�  well, you get the idea. For one night only construction professionals forget their day-to-day lives and take to the stage as monsters of rock. And all for charity.

This year鈥檚 event was in The Vaults, beneath Waterloo station, a cavernous, suitably industrial setting. It also saw the return of last year鈥檚 judging panel: Peter French, former front man of prog rock legends Atomic Rooster; Gina Way, founder of old school R 鈥榥鈥� B venue the Eel Pie Club; and our very own Sarah Richardson, 好色先生TV editor and music aficionado.

Zero Charm, last year鈥檚 winners (best performance and best fundraiser categories), made good on their claim, belting out versions Born to be Wild and Kings of Leon鈥檚 Use Somebody, before setting it back a gear for a rendition of Bon Jovi鈥檚 Dead or Alive.

Next up were event organiser WSP鈥檚 second band to take the stage that night (鈥渉ouse band鈥� and last year鈥檚 entry Wild Sex Party had kicked off the event) prompting the comp猫re to suggest that the firm has a practice studio in its basement.

Cluttons鈥� Mr Meaner proved their name was ironic by being top fundraiser of the evening

The slightly less raunchily named but no less sexy Work Shy Pandas sported a dueting male/female two-singer line-up, the male half of which kept the rock vibe going by sporting a pair of sunglasses which he proceeded to take off and fling to the floor. It was all very punk and played out to their opening number, a cover of U2鈥檚 classic MOR anthem, Where the Streets Have No Name. Storming renditions of Sympathy for the Devil and 99 Red Balloons followed, the latter winning praise from the judges for the bits sung in German.

Rolfe Judd鈥檚 Mentioned in Dispatches followed, a sextet with a group of three seventies-style backing singers and a mix of rock and rhythm and blues.

Then there was this year鈥檚 overall best band winner Levitt Bernstein鈥檚 Passiv Attack, who brought a bit of variety in instruments, with a sax and a flute featuring, as well as a memorable cover of Creedance Clearwater Revival鈥檚 Proud Mary.

The Instigators, a joint venture by HLM Architects, AB Associates and United Learning, cranked up the tone, starting their set with a full-on version of Lenny Kravitz鈥檚 Are You Going To Go My Way? Tight musicianship and a charismatic front woman seemed to gain some of the best crowd reaction of the night.

Cluttons鈥� Mr Meaner proved their name was ironic by being top fundraiser of the evening and delivered an edgy eighties post-punk set, including Echo Beach, Let鈥檚 Dance and New Year鈥檚 Day, before finishing on a more upbeat note with Blur鈥檚 Parklife.

Assael Architecture鈥檚 Tender Package came on with a stylized look bearing a uniform of red blazers and glitter. Going against the Dad rock grain, they cranked out some trendier electro covers that got many of the younger audience members dancing.

Cats, of Catalyst Housing, finished off the evening. With fans in the crowd sporting cat ear headwear matched by the group鈥檚 bassist, they scooped this year鈥檚 best new band category.

All in all, a fun evening that raised over 拢8,500, primarily for property industry charity LandAid.