HOURS of practise have paid off as The Coastals, a young rock band made up of Amanzimtoti High School learners, lit up the stage at Warnadoone Ski Boat Club on June 25 in the run-up to the school’s epic Rock the School event, set for July 25.

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The band straddled the line between rock and metal, with smooth vocals from singer Isabella Carr, masterful lead guitar work from Arno Botha, and thumping drum lines from James Ratcliffe.

Arno expressed his excitement to compete in the upcoming battle of the bands, which brings with it an amazing opportunity to perform in front of hundreds of people and show off what the band has been working on.

“I feel confident that all our hard work will pay off. I know the competition will be tough, but I believe in my band and our ability to give an unforgettable performance. I truly believe that The Coastals have what it takes to win, and I’m excited to step onto the stage and give it our all,” said Arno.

More about Rock the School

Rock the School organiser Abbygail Scott said that the school is gearing up for its third annual music fest and will be bringing in a few upgrades in the form of more food stalls in addition to children’s entertainment and a line-up of new and exciting vendors to browse.

Also read: The power of music for wellbeing

“Our competitive bands have had some exciting changes with Kismet, last year’s winners, evolving into The Coastals, with Isabella, James and Arno. Former Kismet guitarist, Kel Barnardis, forged a new band called Rewind. Complete newcomers to the scene, New Dawn, have yet to show us what they have got in store for us.  We cannot wait to see how good the competition is going to be,” said Scott.

Local bands, Free you Minds, You First, Sweetwater Rock and The Golden Superhawks are set to play into the afternoon at the event.

You can pre-purchase tickets on the Karri application or at the school’s finance office for R40. Alternatively, tickets will be on sale on the day for R50 cash.

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