Blog: The stage is set for Rock School at Northgate

So, I’m at Northgate Arts Centre for Punch Studios Rock School! The stage is set, the chairs are out, and the kid rockers are here! We’re all ready to rock! It’s a shame there’s not a better turnout from the audience but it will be a great night anyway!

First up, support act Joe Gibbings.
If you like Jason Mraz, Olly Murs, and Ed Sheeran you’ll love this guy! Only 17, still at school, but writing and performing beautiful music. Lovely acoustic guitar playing, accompanying a soulful, young voice that’s easy to listen to and warming. Good entertainer, effortless on stage, funny and draws the audience in! Very impressed! Great young talent!

First of the Rock School lot is “The Dennis”. Great girl singer, super clothes style. Wicked lead guitarist with loads of energy. You can tell he loves it! Really strong drummer, who later played bass guitar very well. Brilliant songs, written by them, first one with a powerful and catchy line “I’m not moving you’ll have to run me down” about the delicate and relevant subject of war.

“Electrifying Venom” were next. Wow! Great style. Two girls singing quite a sinister, but catchy song, very accomplished using a vast vocal range. Strong drummer, who got the award for ‘most improved’ throughout the process, which I think was well deserved.
This band is cool, current and very creative!

“The Tom Toms”, (unfortunately missing one ‘Tom’) had to have a couple of tutors involved, which, lets face it, isn’t cool! Ha! But they did brilliantly! The female vocalist, even though she let the nerves get the better of her a little, had a very powerful voice, clear and nice to listen to. The guitarist was very talented too! Great stuff!

The fast-paced, fun “fresh fantasy” band, “The Maximum” ended the Rock School bands’ set with energy, confidence and bags full of talent! The drummer is the smallest bundle of drumming energy I’ve ever seen and the singer is a cheeky lad who improved a lot and performed well (even though he is actually a drummer and this was the first time he’d sung!!)
Cool musical style and technically accomplished! Really good fun! The guitarist won the award for ‘Musicianship’ and the singer for ‘Performance’.

“Youth Club”, a sixth form band, showed us how good the Rock school youngsters could be in a few years time. Very slick and together, well rehearsed with good communication and musicianship!
Fun, upbeat, mix of many popular styles. Fantastic end to a fantastic night!

Rock on Northgate!!

Libby