Trinity Laban’s inaugural Battle of the Bands for young musicians took place on 9 July with a huge diversity of talent on show, spanning genres from R&B to metal. Each band presented one cover song and one original composition on the main stage at Blackheath Halls, compered expertly by recent BA Music Performance and Industry graduate Leon Tilbrook, who also performed.
First on, and highly commended by the panel, were the aptly named Rock Band One from Lewisham Music. They opened the night with a confident performance of ‘The Ballad of Mona Lisa’ by Panic! At The Disco and impressed the judges with tight vocal harmonies and onstage rapport. The first half continued with a beautifully sung R&B duet from Platanos College, fantastic stage presence and songwriting from Leigh Academy Blackheath, and well-arranged call and response vocals from Deptford Green School.
The second half was kicked off in epic style by bands from Sedgehill Academy: rock trio Spitflame in Year 10, and the appropriately named Mellow in Year 9. The cover version choices were particular crowd favourites here, with a surprise choice of ‘Careless Whisper’ followed by TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’. Lewisham Music band Red Box followed up with a classic indie guitar set.
After seven fantastic performances, the panel – chaired by Joe Townsend, Head of BA Music Performance & Industry, along with legendary bassist Yolanda Charles and Rudimental member Mark Crown – selected Spitflame as the winner. The band will visit Trinity Laban in the Autumn for a day of expert coaching and studio recording.
This event was part of Trinity Laban’s extensive programme for children and young people, in partnership with the BA Music Performance and Industry programme.
Image Credit: John Williams