By Josh Verny White

The Boileroom once again had a phenomenal evening with its annual RGS Rock the Boileroom, which has now grown into a classic event and a highlight of the Michaelmas term. Opposite a Waitrose just outside the town centre, four bands participated in a display of technical skill and musical passion. Whilst it has held many bands before as a public venue, during Rock the Boileroom there were only RGS students and their guests to enjoy the night. Even teachers were showing their proud support, attending the event all the same. With colorful and original graffiti on the walls and the Boileroom neon logo vibrantly glowing behind the stage it was the perfect location for the bands to play.

The night began with the spectacular Double Helix, the first of the four bands. Their short set was the perfect introduction to the concert, starting with the muse classic ‘Supermassive Blackhole’. As swiftly as they started to play the band capped their set, ironically finishing with ‘Can’t Stop’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a performance full of energy and passion. Despite being the youngest band, Double Helix rivalled the rest of the bands with their musical talent and performance, and encapsulated the motivation for the Boileroom to give those within the RGS the time to display their passion for the music they enjoy.

Roseland – Throughout the short intermission, the crowd waited patiently for the next group to take the stage and show their prowess. The stage was taken by Roseland, comprised of members of both the Lower and Upper Sixth working together in perfect unison. Their frontrunner Gabriel Meadowcroft captivated the audience with impressive stage presence, ‘Song 2’ by Blur and a rock classic of ‘Crazy Train’ emphasising their explosive act.  For the Queen showstopper of ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ Alex Judge swapped in, rousing the crowd with the iconic song as nearly the entire crowd sang along. Roseland rounded their act off with Nirvana hit ‘Come As You Are’ with a Hendrix-esque guitar display by Will Hamlet being one of the many highlights of the night. The closer of the modern rendition of Beggin by Maneskin was a chaotic performance, perfectly ending their set with one last performance.

After the impressive display by Roseland, the anticipation was rising for the penultimate act. Bad Orange were the follow up, flexing their musical ears with songs from classic bands like Metallica and Iron Maiden. With their onslaught, the audience maintained their high energy, latching onto the choruses of the music such as the titular chant of ‘Suck My Kiss’ from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Their performance of ‘The Trooper’ by Iron Maiden was a strong follow up and showed their strength as a band, impressive guitars and drumming through the set emphasised by this song. Their rendition of ‘Sweet Child O’Mine‘ rivalled Guns N’Roses and brought an incredible display to the crowd’s disappointment.

As the final band, pressure had been mounting upon the band of the Advocates, especially following the stellar songs and performances previously. Expectations were high, but the Advocates did not disappoint in the slightest with brilliant songs and an exceptional act. The introduction to their set was excellent, the 1950’s iconic tune of ‘Johnny B. Goode’ was their first song for the crowded venue. The more energetic songs of Muse’s ‘Time is running Out’ and ‘Rope’ from the Foo Fighters returned to the rock scene of the 90’s, invigorated with the crowds of students dancing. ‘Hotel California’s mellow and melodic tunes brought into focus the band’s incredible technical skill, with a brilliant guitar solo by Ollie Burne echoing the original to the finest details. ‘You Look Good on the Dance Floor’ whipped the crowd into a frenzy, a well known rock anthem from the Arctic Monkeys which was clearly a favourite. The Advocates conclusion was the party favourite of ‘Mr Brightside’ which was chanted word for word by everyone in the room, and even lead to a mosh pit right in the middle of the floor. What was meant to be the finale was a notion rapidly rejected by the crowd, as they demanded one more song. The Advocates returned to the audience’s delight, putting on the British anthem of Blur’s ‘Parklife’ for their encore. The night was overall a brilliant time and a great showcase of all the musical ability and passion from the students, which paid off remarkably well.