Bedfordshire Music Rock Night.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. 14th July 2009.

Hands up kids, who wants to be a rock and roll star? Well, judging by the turnout and talent on display this evening, it does seem there are plenty. Locally at least, it seems that youngsters still want to strap on a guitar, bash the drums, or just simply strike a pose and dream of being a front man and vocalist. Tonight is Bedfordshire Music Rock Night. The future is here.

With school almost out for the summer, level 2 is packed full of little people in attendance, all being safely supervised and kept in check by plenty of mums and dads. The bar is doing a roaring trade as the bottles of Coke are literally flying off the shelves!

This is a project funded in partnership between Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council to encourage schoolchildren to enjoy, and take up playing, rock music. To develop skills that will either provide a lifetime hobby or, to the lucky few, perhaps a career. Children of all ages take to the stage, many dwarfed by their guitars or covered by the almighty drum kit. Boys dominate the girls by a huge majority. As the evening progresses the age level increases.

Starting are Newnham Rock School, quickly followed by Arnold Rock School. Teachers give their pupils a helping hand. Bedfordshire Music Rock School are next. This is a collection of students who gather every Tuesday between 4.30 and 6.00. Their covers encompass Green Day, Muse, and a good version of "Smoke on the Water". The band that forms out of this group are called For All To See. An inventive "Enter Sandman" minus vocals and a Kings Of Leon cover saw these boys get a good reception before they headed downstairs to reprise their set in Danny's Bar. The bar also hosted Watch The Walls and The Neons.

Bedford Saturday Rock School started in a "Gay Bar" and through various guises ended up in a heavy mode with Trivium. The young quartet Rubber Cindy really put the fun into the evening. An end of term raucous version of Noah And The Whale's hit "5 Years Time" is a perfect example.

The last band to entertain us were Watch The Walls who are familiar visitors to our venue. With their fast and frenetic punky sounds, it's this Flitwick trio who already look the most assured musicians of the evening. Although they did take to the stage at the rather late time of 10pm and most of the young people had headed off home, no doubt to relive their thoughts and accounts in the school classrooms tomorrow morning.

It's been an enjoyable and different kind of Esquires evening. Although I'm sure nerves played a big part, all the performers tried hard not to show it and deserve the applause they received. With more and more practice, I'm sure we will be seeing many of these young faces in a lot of new bands in the months and years to come. Well done.