A group of our Year 11 students recently performed at The Wardrobe in Leeds as part of the Red Kite Alliance Battle of the Bands competition.
The event featured students from eight different schools, including Ilkley Grammar School and Prince Henry’s. Our school was represented by: Max M-B (Drums), Charley M-H (Bass), Fraser C (Keys), Kibby C and Milly C (Vocals).
The Event
The students performed a cover of Take Me to Church by Hozier in front of an audience of over 300 people. The judging panel consisted of industry professionals from LaunchPad, Chapel Allerton Music Festival, and the Leeds-based band Kaiser Chiefs. The band gave a brilliant performance, with the audience going wild when Milly and Kibby started a riff-off mid-song, showcasing their incredible vocals.
Reflecting on the Experience
Beyond the music, the students used the opportunity to learn about the industry. During the soundcheck, they worked with professional sound engineers and participated in a Q&A session with LaunchPad to ask questions about music careers.
A school representative commented on the students' professionalism:
"It’s no secret that the young musicians who represented us this year are exceptional... They took the whole event in their stride—from soundcheck where they liaised with the sound engineer... to delivering a performance in the competition. The audience were mesmerised by our students’ performance, and they did me so proud."
While the group did not place in the top three, the experience of performing at a professional venue like The Wardrobe was a significant achievement for all involved.
