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Rock School

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19:52 / 30.09.05

I wish someone had given me free CDs of classic rock at school. I still know next to nothing about Brum metal. Anyway, this is clearly very carefully stage managed, but is anyone else enjoying Channel 4's new rock prog? (No-one enjoys prog rock, natch)

40%

19:36 / 01.10.05

In a word, yes. Very satisfying to see those kids with their oh-so-perfect voices lose out to the guy who can't sing. He's definitely been hand picked, it's just too lucky to have a mentalist like that in such a straight-laced group.

It is very carefully planned. The bit with the head teacher coming in complaining about it not being like their normal lessons was a bit laughable. You just have to suspend disbelief I think.

And Gene Simmons is very cool. Not sure why "we will rock you" is his favourite rock title though.

paranoidwriter waves hello

21:27 / 01.10.05

I didn't see the program, but there was a interesting interview with Mr Simmons and some of his pupils on 'Richard & Judy' the other day (yeah, I watched it, so what?). One of the pupils, Kwame, did his best to right one of the wrongs portrayed by this program and the advertisements (and despite Richard Madeley refusing to drop that patronising manner of his, and actually acknowledge what Kwame was saying). Kwame explained that the school is actually a charitable trust school with kids from all walks of life, so it seems the whole "These kids only like classical music" shtick is yet another Reality TV exaggeration. e.g. Kwame himself is into R&B and Hip-Hop, as well as also playing the piano and liking classical music.

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10:20 / 02.10.05

Yeah, picking Emperor was a foregone conclusion. He probably can sing, but the speaking Elvish thing probably clinched it. He just had the balls to try and do stuff that sounded like a stereotypical rock song. The fact that he wasn't taking it as seriously as everyone else helped, too. I reckon they're probably setting it up for a "creative differences" split, that all good rock nands must have, in about episode 5. He'll probably OD on Quenya or something.

Brigade du jour

00:48 / 03.10.05

Got to take your hat off to these producers, though, setting up a finale like that. The school band is going to play in front of a couple of hundred Motorhead fans? Oh man, this is going to rule!

matthew.

15:14 / 03.10.05

I watched the first episode and was immeasurely bored. Who gives a shit? The whole bit with "they can't even pluck the strings in time with the drums" is laughable. What did Simmons expect? A bunch of Eddie Van Halens and Randy Rhoades the first time out?

Spatula Clarke

22:48 / 03.10.05

Given that it was apparently a music class and that these kids were already able to play other instruments to a relatively high standard, I don't see why it'd be out of the question that they should be able to hit the things in time, if not in tune. Hell, he said it himself - he'd expected the ones who were able to play other stringed instruments to have at least some understanding of a guitar's fret board. It's not like they were coming to this with no previous experience of playing instruments.

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