Johannesburg's young musicians turned up the volume at the St John's College Battle of the Bands on Saturday 19 September, as ten school bands battled it out in the final at Sognage in Strydom Park.
Now in its second year, the competition drew 29 entries, seven in the Junior Division and 22 in the Senior Division. Five bands from each division came through the earlier rounds to reach the final. There they played in front of seven industry judges and shared the bill with Hiraeth, Canvyr and Crash and the Void, three working rock bands off the Gauteng circuit.
The Cactus Quills (St John's Preparatory School) won the Junior Division, with High Voltage (School of Rock) second and Strangers (Kyalami Preparatory School) third.
In the Senior Division, Wiretap (St John's College) took the top spot, followed by The Treble Makers (Kingsmead College) in second and The Removed (St John's College) in third.
The judging panel was made up of:
- Michael Bower, producer at 5FM
- Alana Britz, promoter at Emalyth Events
- Marty du Plessis, musician and music scene content creator
- Catherine Grenfell, DJ
- Robin Norris, sound engineer at As Above Studios
- Marius Schutte, music teacher and musician in Crash and the Void
- Buhrmann Steenkamp of School of Rock
The judges were impressed by the standard in both divisions. They singled out the musicianship, songwriting, arrangements and stagecraft, and the way the bands held the crowd, with many already showing a musical identity of their own.
There were awards beyond the podium too. The Pridwin Rock Band (Pridwin Preparatory School) won Junior Best Original Track, and Perennia (St David's Marist Inanda) won the Senior award. Fusion (St John's Preparatory School) took Junior Best Poster, and The Removed picked up the Senior award to round off a big afternoon for them.
"The St John's College Battle of the Bands celebrates creativity, originality, and musical excellence by offering students a platform to showcase their passion and performance skills," says Jonathan Thorburn, Head of Contemporary Music at St John's College. "This friendly competition gives emerging artists valuable exposure, the chance to perform live, and the opportunity to receive feedback from industry professionals."
Thank you to this year's sponsors, As Above Studios, Rockschool SA, Marshall Music and Rockio Clothing, for their support.
Congratulations to every band that entered, and thank you to the judges, guest bands and everyone who came out to Sognage.
From bedrooms and school rehearsal rooms to the Sognage stage, Johannesburg's young bands proved that the future of live music is already making plenty of noise.
Junior Division
Senior Division
Junior Best Original Track
