Carisbrooke College Battle Of The Bands Debut Proves Huge Success

Carisbrooke College’s first-ever Battle of the Bands event has been hailed a huge success after attracting a packed audience and showcasing the musical talents of more than 50 students.

The school hall was transformed into a live music venue on Wednesday evening, with students, families, staff and friends filling the space to watch 16 acts perform.

Awards on the night included Best Band, Best Solo Artist, Best Moment, Style Icon and the People’s Choice award.

The judging panel featured Andy Booth, Claire Paul, Jake Curran and former Cover Supervisor Steve Freeman, who stepped in as a guest judge ahead of his retirement after a decade at the school.

Year 9 students MC Smith and MC Maxi hosted the evening, keeping the crowd entertained throughout with their introductions and humour.

Among the winners were Gilbert and the Stones, who claimed Best Band for their performance of Paint It Black, while Patience won Best Solo Artist for an acoustic rendition of Stick Season.

Year 11 band Shed took the Best Moment award after performing their original song Again, while Year 7 group The Messengers won Style Icon thanks to their matching shirts and bucket hats.

The People’s Choice award went to Merrin, whose performance of Champagne Supernova saw audience members lighting up the hall with phone torches.

Andy Booth, from Platform One College of Music and Strings Music Venue, praised the students for their confidence and said the support shown by friends and family made the night “a huge success”.

Music journalist Jake Curran said the performances throughout the evening were “incredible”, while Creative Island Director of Education Claire Paul described the event as “aspirational and memorable”.

The evening was also dedicated to the memory of much-loved school caretaker Pete Ball, who died at Easter.

The event ended with Year 11 students performing one of Pete’s favourite songs, Punk Rocker by Iggy Pop, before all performers joined together on stage for a finale of Live Forever by Oasis.

Donations raised during the night will go towards supporting music opportunities and future events at the college in Pete’s memory.

Headteacher Natalie Sheppard said the event had created a “deeply moving” community atmosphere and praised the students for supporting one another throughout the evening.

Carisbrooke College hopes the successful debut event will become an annual celebration of young musical talent on the Isle of Wight.