Battle of the bands

Not any more.

Keating Chambers’ Nick Childmay be the Harvey Goldsmith behind the Law Rocks battle of the legal market bands, but the group based there, Rough Justice, won’t be looking for any favours from the non-performing senior clerk. It doesn’t need any.

“We’re brilliant,” insists Marcus Taverner QC, Rough Justice’s lead guitarist. “We’ve had two rehearsals. I’m learning some new chords this Saturday. Somebody said something about a C7, whatever that is. I’m also getting a new plectrum and I do already have a strap.”

Frankly, with credentials like these, Rough Justice is in with a shot. In fact, as Simon Cowell might put it, “let me tell you now Rough Justice, all bets are off”.

Still, before we all get carried away, let Taverner himself put things into perspective (arguably too much f*cking perspective).

“We’re all novices. [Shearman & Sterling partner and band bassist] Nick Buckworth played in a band when he was 18. I played in a band when I was 19. We did one gig. We did Silver Machine eight times. Then I got kicked out when my Flying V, which I’d bought on HP, got repossessed. It’s a true story.”

It’s one that might not have Kidby and the rest of the contenders quaking in their cowboy boots. But don’t reckon without Rough Justice’s ace up its gold lamé sleeve - the two Brians.

“Our original line-up did four songs and about six gigs then lost our drummer and singer,” reveals Taverner. “Now we’ve replaced them with two Brians. Brian the singer is a lawyer at Mitsubishi. The less we say about Brian the drummer’s brush with the law the better.”

To see CMS Cameron McKenna’s sneak preview, click here.