Fortress and Splash Rock Bruce Mason at BandQuest

Two rock bands from the Boys’ School, Fortress and Splash, took to the stage at the Bruce Mason Centre on 25 August for the Manukau Region Rockshop BandQuest competition. Between them, they came home with an award each, Best Rock Style (Fortress) and the Original Songwriter Award (Splash).

The boys had been rehearsing since the start of the year, with their in-school Battle of the Bands performance prior, serving as a final tune-up.

Backstage, the excitement increased as the crowd rolled in for the evening. A mini dance-off broke out ahead of the show, with Fortress vocalist Oliver Yang’s moves earning him a prize and the room’s attention. Around fourteen bands from across Auckland filled the venue, and the mosh pit was still finding its feet as Fortress, opened their set with Viva La Vida.

“The mosh pit quickly grew, and the crowd became more excited,” said students Matteen Alavi and Lucas Van Goch Old. Oliver’s stage presence pulled the crowd further in, and when they played their original song, the response was, in the boys’ words, that “the crowd went wild.”

Splash followed with a set built for a singalong. Their cover of Djo's End of Beginning became the standout moment of the night, with the audience singing every word back at them. “Max Coulam had excellent stage presence, and all the band members had lots of fun performing together,” Van Goch Old recalled. He also credited the professional sound set up at the Bruce Mason Centre for lifting the performance further.

By the end of the night, the hard work had paid off twice over. Fortress’ Best Rock Style award recognised their sound on stage, and Splash’s Original Songwriter Award highlighted their creative songwriting.

Alavi and Van Goch Old called it one of the best band experiences either has had. They thanked Head of Music, Teresa de Vries for supporting both bands, and Greg Dallison for his mentoring throughout the year. 

Fortress (Year 7 band): Micaiah Peiris (drums), Oliver Yang (vocals), Harrison Sutherland (guitar), Bruno Brewer (bass)m Matteen Alavi (Keys).

Splash (Year 8 band): Lucas Van Goch Old (guitar/vocals), Max Coulam (guitar/bass/vocals), Felix Silverstone (Drums), Leo Jamieson (Keys).