Warminster School’s annual Battle of the Bands competition took place on Friday, 22nd February. Talent was at an all-time high and it was a fantastic night showcasing a broad range of music. 
Three bands took part. Four Year 9 boys from the Old Vicarage Boarding House performed as ‘Blindfire’; they were up against last year’s winners ‘The Manhattan Project’, and a Sixth Form band known as ‘Charlie Don’t Surf’.
Blindfire opened ‘the Battle’ with a cover of Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars”.
The well-rehearsed group produced a tight and energetic performance which entertained the crowd.
Despite being the youngest group in the contest, they displayed maturity as they performed their own composition and went on to close their set with the Guns N Roses classic “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.
Next to perform was “The Manhattan Project”, hoping to emulate last year’s success. Their set of six numbers included “Daytripper” by the Beatles, “Sugar, We’re Going Down” by Fall Out Boy, and “Ho Hey” by the Lumineers. They really shone with an original entitled “Valentine’s Day, Why Won’t You Go Away?
” that was not only very well thought out but performed flawlessly. Each member of the band illustrated their musical ability and experience with numerous solos throughout the set. It was their end song, a cover of “Johnny B.
Goode” by Chuck Berry, which really stood out and included some impressive riffs performed by Ollie Pitts with outstanding vocals by Tommy Morgan.
The crowd exploded when they announced their final number and the band delivered a performance which would not look out of place alongside well established acts.
Finally, the most senior group in the contest took to the stage. They brought their own style to the songs they performed that was both familiar and, at the same time, original.
They had clearly put a lot of thought and effort into their performance with their original arrangements. They opened with “What’s My Age Again?” by Blink-182, but it was a unique acoustic version of Outkast’s “Hey Ya” which really impressed.
Their passion for music was evident throughout their performance, proving them to be very capable musicians.
In true X Factor style, audience members voted by text to choose the winner. The atmosphere was tense and it was a close call but, for the second year running, The Manhattan Project were victorious. It was a great night and I’m sure we will see more of these bands in the future. Keep an eye out for them!