Te Mata School band Lost Property recently took out top spot at the regional Rockshop Bandquest.
Competing against 22 intermediate and primary school bands from across the region, the band – Zavier and Max Mathis, Freddie Durant, Jesse Fraser, Jesse Peacocke, and Cade Skerman – lit up Hamilton’s Clarence Street Theatre with their high-energy performance.
“Once you get out on the stage, all the pressure’s gone,” Zavier says.
“It’s so fun hyping up the crowd,” Jesse Fraser says.
Not only are the six talented musos, they’re also keen surfers who drew inspiration from their surf coach, Mikey Banks, for their song ‘Four Foot and Offshore’, which won Best Original Song.
“We were really surprised that he turned up. It was so cool that he made it for the Bandquest,” Zavier says.
The group are mentored by their teacher Vicki Greetis and although they only formed this year, they’re already seasoned musicians.
“We have pretty musical classroom, so they can just pick up the acoustics and the acoustic drums whenever they want,” Vicki says.
A musician herself – performing as Vicki No Mates – she has helped the band hone both their songwriting and their live performance.
“I make them go over and over every part until it’s polished. And then for their live showmanship, I gave them a little punk rock education – made them watch bands like Bad Brains and Dead Kennedys to see their energy on stage,” she says.
That mix of stage presence and polished songwriting gave Lost Property the edge they needed to win on the day.
More than 300 bands are competing in Bandquest events across the country this year. Lost Property now joins other regional winners in the online national final. Results will be announced on October 10.
Lost property comprises 11-year-olds Zavier Mathis (guitar), Freddie Durant (vocals), Jesse Peacocke (bass), and Cade Skerman (guitar) and 12-year-olds Max Mathis (drums) and Jesse Fraser (vocals),
