Showdown 2009 photos by Tom Foxall
Saturday 21st November 2009 saw the final event of the William Penny Brookes Bicentenary year. Showdown, a rock competition for musicians under 18 years, was held at The Edge, part of the William Brookes School, Much Wenlock, and all the participants received a Bicentenary Medal.
The organisers for the WOS Live Arts, the William Brookes High School Music Department achieved a marathon feat with their organiser, Penny Jaeger, at the helm. Penny is Director of Music at the William Brookes School. Showdown is showcase gig. It gives aspiring bands and alternative acts (soloists, duos or something ‘different’), the opportunity to perform on stage in a large-scale event with professional sound engineers, amazing lighting and stage effects.
The three judges were Simon Anderson a published (and much performed) experimental music composer; Aidan Laverty, a pro Music Technology specialist and TV & Film composer; and Phil Tunnel, a drum and bass programmer (and former winner of Showdown).
Round 1 featured all 16 acts, each delivering 2 numbers, with the last performance at 5.45pm. At this point, it was evident that the judges were going to have their work cut out. The standard of performance was amazing, and Simon Anderson admitted that “Choosing 8 finalists was challenging for the judges. We based our decision on who demonstrated the greatest stage presence, musicianship and professional delivery’.
Adrenaline was running high when the Finalists Performance began at 7.30pm. The finalists each played a 15 minute set which had to include an original song. Again, the judges experienced enormous difficulty in selecting the winners – the standard was so high from everyone.
In the bands section, the winners of third prize, £25 voucher to spend at Krimzon Rok in Shrewsbury were The Shropshire Soul Company, a big band which included guitar, sax, keyboard, and drums. Second prize, £50 voucher to spend at Digital Village (the on line rock shop) was The Valentines. And the very worthy winners of £250 voucher for a day’s audio visual recording at Scadge Productions in Hortonwood was Herdson Smash. Jon Wilkins, Director at Scadge said “We’re delighted to sponsor such a class competition and we feel we’re involved, even in a very small way, with the 2012 Olympics. The band is in for a great day in the studio, and they’ll go home with a DVD to be proud of.”
Second prize in the Alternative section, a £50 voucher to spend at Digital Village, went to Kate Lefroy who enchanted the audience with her amazing voice. First Prize of £250 voucher for a day’s recording at The Smashroom in Ketley Business Park, went to the stunning ‘Bears in Caves’. Phil Tunnel explained that “they added another dimension to their performance by incorporating extended instrumental techniques, high standard technology and an original style of delivery”. Steph Wilkins from The Smashroom said “Bears in Caves were ‘pure entertainment’, and we’re thrilled that the band will be recording with us”.
In his closing remarks, Aidan Laverty commented that, “There were at least four acts here today who are good enough to warrant a record deal”. With gig’s like Showdown, there is no doubt that Shropshire’s got talent!
Photos: Tom Foxall Photography
