Northern Heats

After the successes of performers in the Rock Challenge arena in 2024, students were pumped to have another go this year.  Using the feedback sheets the judges provided last year with suggestions for improvement, students focussed in on these suggestions and put them into practice.

To attend the Rock Challenge, bands had to come up with a name, work on a cover song then write and develop an original composition.

Bands Payroll, Break the Chain, Tide Riders and Superstition, and their support crew headed to the Launceston Conference Centre for a sound check before having a break and time to relax. The doors opened at 6.00pm with the last performance at around 10.30pm.  All four of our bands performed well and scored highly with the judges.  Tide Riders were the only band to move to the finals.

The journey that students take to work as a team, develop their skills as a performer, rehearse until they get really tired of it and each other, then come together as one is the real success of this opportunity.  This level of participation, support and courage was clearly demonstrated by Mieka who was losing her voice and had an injury but kept performing, Isaac who lost his voice the day before the Rock Challenge and Charli who learned the keyboard part to a song in record time to support Superstition.  This is true teamwork. They didn’t want to let their friends/band members down – and they didn’t.

Break the Chain

Payroll

Superstition

Tide Riders

State Finals

Within a fortnight of the northern heats, Tide Riders were an excited group of students ready to take on the world.  They attended the sound check before spending time with family and friends.  The evening began at 5.00pm and the last performance was at 11.00pm. Tide Riders were in the middle – plenty of time to see who they were competing against and plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere.

Just before their performance, they made their way to the Green Room for last minute preparations before walking out on stage to the cheers of students, families and staff who attended.  Tide Riders performed two original songs that were developed, honed and performance ready in two weeks. 

The finals consist of all successful performers from the South, North West and North. After a tense wait for the judges to finalise the results, Tide Riders was announced as third from all of the High School Rock Bands that played on the night. They will be receiving their prize courtesy of Barratts Music.

We would like to thank the students for their dedication to perform, staff and the admin team for their support in enabling students to attend additional rehearsals and compete, and finally Nic Wardlaw and Pete Cornelius for volunteering their time and expertise to work with our students.