** WARNING **
Shelley is very passionate about Rock Eisteddfod and the blog below shows just a little how fanatical she is about it!
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This week I watched the Rock Eisteddfod Open AND Premier Sydney Grand Finals!
How much fun do those kids have!
I am a "rocka kid" from way back.. 93-96' to be exact! (oh I'm old!!!) I remember the excitement of being on such a big stage, with thousands watching and cheering, big sets, lights and complex dance routines... It's like a Mardi Gras Show experience really - just a lot less gay of course!
The Open GF was obviously not as top quality at the Premier Division, but had some great performances in it. The stand out for me was Woolooware High School! Their performance of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" was well above the standard of the rest of the other schools in their Division. It was like chalk and cheese.. It's like putting Cathy Freeman (for the non-aussies, she is our gold winning Olympic runner) against a line of Drag Queens in heels for a sprint race - the difference in standard was staggering! (Boom Boom!)
However, as per last year's Premier Division, the judges wouldn't know a good show if it f**ked them up the arse! (i.e. Northmead's placing!) Woolooware High School was judged as 3rd place. This fortunately now allows them to enter the Premier Division next year, but really, they got 3rd place??? At any other time, this is a wonderful position to attain, but there is absolutely no doubt that they were completely deserving of 1st place. No one came close to their professionalism, their extremely high production values - sets, costumes, soundtrack, choreography - all exceptional! Woolooware should clearly have won the Open Division competition. Full stop.
Calming down and moving on..
The Premier GF was awesome - as to be expected! The most complex and magical set changes I've seen in my life! Oh how I long for the chance to use sets like these guys! And just think - Mardi Gras shows would be the most awesome ever if we had sets like some of those schools' entries!
Now I have a few favourite schools I look for ever year in Sydney...
Pymble Ladies College
Rooty Hill Senior High
Randwick Girls/Boys High (Combined)
Northmead Senior High
With Pymble and Rooty Hill only entering the competition every 2nd year, it left me to drool over Randwick and Northmead's performances..
Rankwick Girls/Boys High Schools combined did a show titled, "Tank Girl". The heroine, in a future Sydney which resembled a dry wasteland, fights the authorities to give water back to the people in need. It was innovative, exciting, dramatic and colourful. They had incredible sets, used a cartoon styled "biff" and "ka-pow" for fight scenes which were fun. The general feel of the show you could describe as "tom-boyish", and was an all-around favourite to take the title. In the end it was the first place winner of the night and certainly deserved it - an awesome show - they should be very very proud!
Northmead - Well I fell in love with this school last year when it blew me away with one of the best live performances Ive ever seen in the Rock Eisteddfod competition. In fact when they only got 4th place, I wanted to walk out of the Sydney Entertainment Centre!
This year they did a story on Al Capone. Starting with a very funky scene on a lamp posted street, it followed the lead character through his dealings and killings in Chicago, from diners to casinos! Eventually the authorities catch up to him and he is jailed. As I expected, the choreography was the tightest, funkiest and best of the night! The sets were awesome - delivering quick and dramatic changes to scenes.. This schools rocks! I wish I could go back to high school just to do Northmead Rock Eisteddfods!
I'm getting worked up again... Calming down... breathing slowly...
Now they came 3rd, which was ok this time - it was a tight finish for the top 3.. so the judges are safe this year!
I can't wait for next year now! It will be amazing! I'm thinking - see Sydney and Melbourne this time! That way I can see one of my longtime favourite schools of all compete, multiple National winner St Columbus College! That would mean next year I would see all 4 of my top Sydney schools, plus my all-time favourite in one year LIVE!
Oh I'm about to pee my pants! Gotta go!
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