Photos: Battle of the Teen Bands 2021

Kaitaia Abundant Life School band Kal's Collective (with Jahzara Takimoana, 16, centre) won this year's Battle of the Teen Bands. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Nine youth bands from Kaitaia to Whangārei put on an mind-blowing display of musical skill on Friday night's Battle of the Teen Bands 2021.

Hosted by youth mentoring programme Be Free, the competition is open to all Northland youth with bands judged on musicianship, composition/interpretation and entertainment value with extra points awarded for original songs.

A jump in the calibre of both song-writing and performance this year meant the judges — a musical theatre singer, a successful US musician and a Be Free graduate — had a hard time choosing a winner, but eventually settled on Kal's Collective.

The Kaitaia Abundant Life School band also took home prizes for most promising drummer and best bass player.

Friday's show at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri was also a swansong for Be Free committee members Claire Gordon and Jo Danilo, who stepped down after 12 and four years' volunteer service, respectively.

RESULTS
Most promising drummer: Rogan Nukunuku (Kal's Collective); runners-up Sailor Epiha (The Click); Erin Rosetta (No Vacancy); Zane Scott (Under Pressure).
Best bass solo/riff: Kees Cherrington (Kal's Collective).
Most promising female vocalist: Tyler-James ('TJ') Edwards (Metamorphosis).
Most promising male vocalist: Lukas Bayer (No Vacancy).
Best Lyrics: Tyler-James ('TJ') Edwards for Darkest Hour (Metamorphosis).
Best guitar solo: Kosta Silich (No Vacancy).
Most promising instrumentalist: Kosta Silich (No Vacancy).
Best performance: OC/DC.
Overall winner: 1 Kal's Collective, 2 Metaphorical, 3 Under Pressure.
People's Choice: Under Pressure.

Be Free band The Click opened the competition with, from left, Declan Matthews on vocals/guitar, Cooper Harris on bass and Jenna Dawes on keyboards. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Fourteen-year-old Lukas Bayer of Be Free band No Vacancy was named best male vocalist (with Finn French, 14, on bass). Photo / Peter de Graaf

No Vacancy's Erin Rosetta, 14, was a runner-up for the title of most promising drummer. Photo / Peter de Graaf

No Vacancy's Kosta Silich, left, won the best instrumentalist and best guitar solo awards. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Twelve-year-old Liam Shackleton plays acoustic guitar with Kaitaia Abundant Life school band Soundtrack. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Eleven-year Prayer Pihema sings with Soundtrack, a band from Kaitaia Abundant Life School. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Twelve-year-old Dillan Blithe-Drake, of Kerikeri High School band Under Pressure, channels Twisted Sister with a cover of We're Not Going to Take It. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Be Free band OC/DC with, from left, singers Nikita Bennett and Depla Palmer, Alice Fairhurst on bass and Jack Laird on guitar, all aged 13. Photo / Peter de Graaf

OC/DC singer Depla Palmer, 13. Photo / Peter de Graaf

OC/DC won best performance on the back of their version of the Cranberries' Zombie, which ended with the entire band playing dead on the stage. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Thirteen-year-old Marama Lenden on ukulele and vocals with Kerikeri band Metaphorical. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Guitarist Koko Rosevear, 12, and Marama Lenden, 13, on ukulele and vocals, perform with second-placed band overall, Metaphorical. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Precious Harris, 11, leads Whangārei Intermediate band Te Reo Kia Māori Mai Teina. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Eleven-year-old Precious Harris sings with Whangārei Intermediate band Te Reo Kia Māori Mai Teina. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Kaitaia Abundant Life School band Kal's Collective (with Jahzara Takimoana, 16, centre) won this year's Battle of the Teen Bands. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Kees Cherrington, 14, of Kal's Collective, was named the night's most promising bass player. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Members of Kaitaia Abundant Life School band Kal's Collective react after learning they've won the 2021 Battle of the Teen Bands. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Kerikeri High School band Under Pressure — from left, Zane Scott, Josh Boyd, Sam Hendrikse and Dillan Blithe-Drake — won the people’s choice award. Photo / Peter de Graaf