Battle of the Bands puts Rock and Pop Centre Stage
Posted 9th February 2023
Students to the stage last week for the school’s annual Battle of the Bands competition.
Organised by Year 12 BTEC students, Battle of the Bands showcases new music talent across the school. The event saw 12 bands across Years 7 to 13, the most to ever participate in a single year, thrashing out rock and pop covers, much to the delight of the capacity crowd of students and families.
The bands embraced the evening, raising the roof with electrifying performances, each band playing a range of instruments and lead singers showcasing powerful vocals. The standard was very high, with bands commanding the stage in front of the live audience and some rising stars making their debuts.
The judging panel consisted of Mr Nik Mason – Assistant Headteacher, Mr Greg Vincent – Piano Teacher, Ms Megan Jowett – Strings Teacher and Lucy Kilner – HGS Alumni.
Mr Mason, as Head Judge, commented that the outstanding level of performances had made their decision very difficult, however, Indecision was declared overall winner, for their cover of ‘Runaway Baby’; closely followed by Tumbling Pebbles, with their performance of ‘Ghostbusters’ and Jon Bovi, with their rocking rendition of ‘You Give Love a Bad Name’. All three groups were commended for their band dynamic, crowd engagement and energetic performances.
Indecision, made up of Tess Eastaugh, Vee Griffin, Amelie Aylesbury, Ruby Margo, Fran Bonfield, Bahar Sabet and Diya Patel said of their win, “It felt incredible to win Battle of the Bands, we worked really hard on the song. Feeling the support of our peers, and seeing the whole audience so excited by our performance was amazing. It was great to see all the musical talent that our school has.”
Tom Post, Teacher of Music at Harrogate Grammar School, said, “This is a student led event where musicians from across the school are welcome to take part. Seeing the talent from all year groups is fantastic, and Battle of the Bands is the best way for budding musicians to get live performance experience in a really supportive atmosphere. We’d love to see more students joining music clubs and forming bands, to gain confidence and experience, and this popular event is just one in the school’s busy music calendar”.
The youngest band to ‘go into battle’ was Year 7 trio, The Rising Sun, covering ‘Sweet Child of Mine’. With impressive vocals by Sula Stanhope, powerful drumming by William Goldstein and superlative guitar talent by Freddie Moss-Blundell, the band commented, “We loved every second of playing in Battle of the Bands, it was a fantastic experience. We are looking forward to performing again next year and now have our sights on the winners’ title.”
Other bands taking to the stage on the night were Jackson 5, Celestial, Rolling Rocks, Tangible Dreams, Sacrifice the Bassist, Electric Fan company, Sondiko Flares and The Cabinet.
Neil Renton, Headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, said: “Battle of the Bands was a high energy evening, with students of all ages taking on rock and pop classics. The number and diverse range of bands participating, was wonderful to see and the event drew one of the biggest turnouts. It was fantastic to see such enthusiastic student performances and audience enjoyment.”
Harrogate Grammar school has a thriving music department with several ways for students to get involved and develop their skills. They can form their own band or join an ensemble, and become part of choirs, orchestras and even a jazz band.
