Let me take you back to the 3rd of September. It was a Tuesday, and the winter was beginning to thaw. Students, musicians, friends, family, competitive pool players, and the odd stranger gathered in the Botanic Bar for a battle. For the culminating clash. For the grandest showdown to descend on QUT campus to draw a fierce war to a close…
*
The Glass Magazine X QUT Guild Battle of the Bands was back again for 2024, making friends at QUT turn on one another and stirring bloodlust.
After reviving the Battle of the Bands in 2023, the Glass team were antsy to make this year even better. We had a vicious roster of eight bands raring to take out the grand prize of $4,000. We had sadistic students ready to watch gladiatorial musicians take each other out. We had pink tokens burning to decide a winner.
The stage was set, and the battle cry did sound.
From Week 1 through to Week 4, the rounds whittled down the competition from eight bands to four. Through the rounds, we were introduced to the bands and the genres locked and loaded in their arsenals, ranging from folk to rock to country to indie punk. The crowds thickened as the event drew on, and the bands fought for their place in the competition. The cannons sounded to say goodbye to Samichoux, Gravity’s Rainbow, Georgia Scarlett and Arvo Haze as we moved on to the next tier of competition.
The Semi Finals in Weeks 5 and 6 saw another two showdowns, with battle rage flaring in the performers’ eyes. Bar tabs were promised, and Minecraft vestments were vowed to be worn if the bands were to prevail in their quest for victory. But alas, we had to farewell Dropics and On The Møss to make way for our finalists.
That left the final two to war it out in our Grand Final on the 3rd of September. Country against rock. Heartbreakers against lingerie lovers. It was Briana Dinsdale Band against Liquid Sun. Supporters marched in as the bands sharpened and tuned their weapons. The Botanic Bar was electric as the crowd stomped, the bands hollered, and bras were thrown. And then it came time to vote and announce our 2024 winner of the Grand Final $4,000 prize – the country music maven and her crew, the Briana Dinsdale Band! Liquid Sun took home the runner–up prize of $1,000. And with that, the Glass Magazine X QUT Guild Battle of the Bands for 2024 came to a close.
The Battle of the Bands has become a standout in the QUT student experience, and we have loved seeing it bring together music lovers on campus, and see a community form and thrive. This competition has become a spectacle of student talent where we can all support each other and fuel the creative community on campus.
*
Many thanks to all our competitors: Briana Dinsdale Band, Samichoux, Dropics, Gravity’s Rainbow, Georgia Scarlett, Liquid Sun, On The Møss and Arvo Haze! We can’t wait to see what you have coming up… and who knows, maybe we can get you back in the ring in 2025 😉
