By Yvonne Cheung Tsz Yin (25S03S) and Rhea Sharma (25S06A)
The stage was set, the lights were dimmed, and the sheer star power was palpable in the hazy air of the darkened studio. As our Raffles Rock-stars emerged from backstage, they navigated through the labyrinth of extension cords, prepared to bring the crowd on a journey through the stars.
This three-act concert featured the dazzling Year 5 band ‘Split Decisions’, and more prominently, the astronomical Year 6 band ‘Ten Volt Tragedy’.
Rockout Supernova brought us on a cosmic journey through the life cycle of a star: its birth, growth and eventual death. Uncannily, one would find that the journey and transformation of our very own rockstars mirrors this to a tee.
The infectious energy of the two bands truly had a gravitational hold on their audience, a strong force tugging the heartstrings of our fellow attendees. The two-hour concert somehow felt like thirty minutes, while the cramped venue felt as vast as the National Stadium with energy, leaving fans pleading for an encore.
Being the final concert for our Year 6 band before they stepped down, Rockout Supernova was certainly a bittersweet and emotionally-charged production for many. Embark on this journey with us to relive the radiant final performance of ‘Ten Volt Tragedy’, and the life cycle of our very own rock stars.
ACT I: BIRTH
Our journey begins with the birth of our stars. A massive cloud of dust and gas known as the nebula collapses in on itself to form a scorching, young and beautiful star. What better way to depict this than through the blazingly fresh and phenomenal Y5 band ‘Split Decisions’.
Our emerging stars kicked off the concert with their rendition of ‘Golden Hour’ by jvke, a tantalisingly delicate song representing the beauty and tranquillity of a nebula.
A few crowd favourites included ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’ by Coldplay, as well as ‘Every Summertime’ by NIKI, perfectly encapsulating the lightness and refreshing sound of the up-and-coming band.
With only two short months to form the band and perfect their craft, the members were thrust into the unforgiving embrace of pressure. However, it is only with immense heat and pressure, that a star can be born.
The rising stars of Raffles Rock
ACT II: Supergiant
It’s time to turn up the heat. Watch as the star grows larger and brighter, drawing you in with every passing second. It’s set ablaze. Welcome to Supergiant.
‘Ten Volt Tragedy’ rocked the stage as they moved into the intense and angsty Act II. From belting their hearts out as one band to sensational solos, their music connected with every audience member, and no one could resist cheering and screaming along to the beats.
Passion and energy radiated through every song and just like a supergiant, the crowd’s energy surged upwards. “All I Wanted”, “Chandelier”, and “Supermassive Black Hole” were only some of the power-riffing tunes that got everyone hyped up.
Even though “I’m not okay (I promise)” was one of the crowd’s favourites, everyone was more than okay and almost “Happier Than Ever”. This includes our very own rockstars.
Eashaa Pillai (24S03C), Rock’s Chairperson, shared her sentiments as she was on stage for the final time with her band.
“Mid-song when I looked over at Ian, he’s doubled over his guitar with his eyes closed and hands moving on their own accord banging out a riff. [There’s] Tiffany with the biggest smile on her face as she bops along and hits every beat. [When I see] Chi-e with her face scrunched and her hand to her chest pouring her everything into a note, that makes me smile.”
“It’s so breathtaking to see how the music moves all of us and how that in turn has the power to possess an entire crowd because that’s really what all this is about isn’t it?”
‘Ten Volt Tragedy’ rocking out!
ACT III: Supernova
What becomes of a star after it dies? Rather than the grim and solemn death you’re expecting, the death of a star results in an explosion of the biggest scale, a supernova. Simply imagine a beautiful array of bright and flashing colours exploding in all directions within the depths of space.
Act III symbolises the aftermath of the death of a star, and it definitely can’t go out without a bang, and neither can the ‘Ten Volt Tragedy’. Dreamy renditions of ‘Fix You’ by Coldplay, and ‘Iris’ by The Goo Goo Dolls, perfectly embodied the stunningly ethereal atmosphere of the segment, inciting some not-so-synchronised swaying from the audience.
The ‘Ten Volt Tragedy’ closes off the show with a highly demanded encore, ending off with the very befitting ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ by Coldplay.
It may not be a sky full of stars, but the crowd lit up the stage with an ocean of flashlights as band members basked in the light and the electrifying aura of their last performance.
Vocalist Chi-e (24A01C) of ‘Ten Volt Tragedy’ was able to share with us how she felt in the moment: “So emo, I cried. I felt like Chris Martin.”
From the birth of a star to a supernova, this truly was the nebula of a lifetime.
Our stars going Supernova.
So what exactly is next for our rock stars? After a star goes supernova, all that is left in its remnant is clouds of dust and gas. Sound familiar?
A nebula is reformed from the core of the supernova, awaiting the birth of a new star.
Similarly, it is not the end of the road for our rock stars. As the journey of Raffles Rock comes to an end for our year 6s, their future in music and beyond certainly shines bright.
The road ahead is long and promising for ‘Split Decisions’ as well, a luminous future set ablaze for the band. Let our Rafflesians continue to burn radiantly, shining as the brightest stars in the sky no matter which path they choose to journey down.
As a final message to the audience from Tiffany (24S03G) of ‘Ten Volt Tragedy’, “If our show left you feeling even a smidgen of something, our job is done.”
A heartfelt goodbye and an emptied dressing room after a long day.
