The Hale Senior Boarders Band emerged victorious at this year’s Newdegate Machinery Field Days’ Battle of the Bands competition. The boys were delighted to take out the top spot in the competition, which they initially entered for fun and the opportunity to perform on stage.
The Senior Boarders Band first took shape in 2020 and has gone from strength to strength ever since with a continual ebb and flow of musically-inclined boarders keen to be part of the group. Ryan Obst (Year 12), Jack Johnson (Year 12), Adam Jespersen (Year 11), Shaun Robinson (Year 10), Caden Ward (Year 9), Jordan Petchell (Year 10) and Elijah Jose (Year 11) make up the current band. The boys have been rehearsing and jamming in the Senior Boarding House in the lead up to the competition.
Lead singer, Ryan, says the band enjoys learning and playing rock songs as they are fun to perform and always a hit with the audience. Their repertoire certainly demonstrates their strong affinity for the genre. The winning setlist included songs by The Living End, Thirsty Merc, Incubus and Kings of Leon. The band also draws inspiration from some fellow ex-boarders and Old Haleians, David House (2016) and Henry Carrington-Jones (2017), whose indie rock band the Old Mervs has been building a solid local fan-base since its formation in 2016.
The Brine House Band, made up of Year 7 and 8 boarders also performed in the competition, which featured a number of bands from local high schools.
