ROCKfest 2006 Review

September 6, 2006

Lucia writes:

As Saturday August 26th rolled in it was that time of the year again... ROCKfest 2006 had come.

Last years' winner MakeSHIFT (now known as Perfect Fit) kicked off the show with a stellar performance, reminiscent of their show the previous year. The crowd was instantly drawn to their speedy drumming, fast picking and wailing vocals the moment the boys started. Their performance let us know that the right decision was made last year and that these boys are truly something to be looking out for in the future.

And then the competition began. Western Heights' Jason's Super Happy Friends Club was up first, with the difficult challenge of keeping the audience occupied. What a funky sound! The crowd couldn't help but move to the groove and get caught up in the fantastic vocal abilities of Damian Winiecki. Their teacher Ms Harrington beamed with pride at the work the boys had put in and it all paid off in this performance.

Returning from last year was crowd favorites Lost Order from St Josephs College. These guys have done an amazing amount of work since ROCKfest '05 and it showed. They rocked out hard and lapped up the audience's enthusiasm. Jarrod's guitar wailed and Kyle's voice responded, making their music dramatic and powerful. As expected their t-shirt sales went off the hook, proof that Lost Order performed well.

As the video footage of the next band went underway a tiny drummer walked on stage (reminder that this year's Gretsch Catalina Stage Kit featured a 26 inch bass drum) and sat behind the monstrosity. It was time for Urban Reflections to play, a band brought to you by Corio Bay Senior College. This band reminded me that girls can in fact rock out in style, with drums being played in heels! Very interesting and creative songwriting made sure that the attention of their audience was kept and with a standout vocalist this band proved that no one was a sure bet this year.

13th Month from Christian College are familiar faces around the ROCKfest camp and their show very well anticipated. After hearing last year's cover of I Deny I couldn't wait to see what they were going to bring to the competition. They boys didn't let us down either, a massive improvement on last year and very entertaining. A nice change of using acoustic guitars was well appreciated and the beautiful harmonies went down a treat. Teamed up with an entertaining new drummer, 13th Month have created a formula for success.

Now if anyone remembers Blind Obsession from last year beware, these guys have modified their line-up, changed their name, their sound, their image and are ready to rock your socks off. Opening with a fantastic Muse cover, Light at Day's End from Lara Secondary College proved that they were in no way an underdog. Their timing was impeccable and their performance amazing as they ripped through some awesome material like there was no tomorrow. Unbelievable energy from such a young group put a massive smile on teacher Mark Bennett's face.

Next up was hardcore act Head Hunter from Oberon High School, and boy did the crowd love them. Stage moves aplenty these guys were in the zone for the duration of their performance, much to the delight of their fans. Citing influence such as Throw Your Bombs and Tides of Wake (ha!) these guys gave a definitive performance and strengthened Oberon's reputation for producing great metal bands.

You couldn't shut the crowd up as Geelong College's H-a-n-k walked up on stage. Amid crazed chants of their name the boys kicked off in style. Little Robert 'Trippa' played amazingly well, whilst keeping his attention focused on the crowd. The sax roared through some fantastic solos, the keys jangled, the vocals shone through and the guys ran an absolute muck on stage. Their harmonies were flawless; this was a performance to remember.

Lost Boy Found played a typical show, and let the competing bands know of the standard that comes from rehearsing and performing regularly. The judges ducked away to a private room to discuss their comments and make some big decisions.

As the judges walked up on stage a familiar chant of 'Hank, Hank, Hank' deafened them. 4 awards were announced, although the judges stressed the fact that all the bands had been very close. The A&B Music Encouragement award went out to Light at Days End from Lara Secondary, for their incredible transition from the Auditions to the show. Winning the award for 'runner-up best band' and 'best song' was Lost Order, with Enemy In My Head. The overall winner came as no major surprise, considering the energy and performance they gave, being handed to H-a-n-k.

All in all it was a successful night and like a good wine ROCKfest continues to get better and better with age.