News@Com The News Magazine of Comberton Village College ISSUE 30, SUMMER 2012
DUO STEAL THE SHOW COMBERTON students Grace Shelley and Jonathan Gaze beat more than 70 other bands of all ages to be crowned the best band in Cambridge.
Having already won the under-18s heat of the Cambridge Band Competition at The Grapes in Cambridge, they moved on to The Junction for the finals. There they performed in front of an audience of 400 people and a judging panel made up of the great and the good from the Cambridge music scene and they simply stole the show, becoming the first under-18 winners in the competition’s history. Grace and Jono tentatively took to the stage, but quickly got into their stride, playing their highly original tunes which Grace has written over the last few years. Grace’s voice sounded fantastic through the Junction’s powerful speakers, her fluid piano playing underpinning the great heartfelt lyrics which stunned the judges, many of whom found it hard to believe that someone so young could be so insightful, with Jono providing amazing drumming to bring it all together. Peter Brazier, one of the judges from Vertical Rooms Recording Studio — a man who has worked with some of the planets biggest stars including Mark Owen and Dolly Parton — said of Grace: “That was amazing, simply stunning — I pity the rest
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of the bands having to play after those two!â€? Along with the main prize of ÂŁ250 and a photo shoot they also scooped the Lodestar festival prize, Vertical Rooms Artist Development Prize and the Cambourne Youth Music Prize, leaving the rest of the bands empty handed! Called Grace-Sarah as Grace was initially a solo artist before teaming up with Jono, the pair have made numerous public appearances since winning the competition. They played three sets at Strawberry Fair on Midsummer Common in Cambridge, appeared at the Big Weekend on Parker’s Piece when the Olympic torch relay came to Cambridge, have done several gigs in pubs and clubs and have played on Radio Cambridgeshire and Cambridge 105. They have an EP out this month and another to follow after the summer holidays. Grace said: “It was incredibly nerve-wracking to play in front of all those people but it’s much better since I started working with Jono. Before it was just me and a piano on stage but now we are a team.â€? Grace, who sings as well as playing the piano, says she doesn’t have a particular genre but has been likened to Ellie Goulding. She has no idea where their latest success will take them, but remember where you Lance Rayner Ad (88 x 50) 18/11/09 2:12 pm Page 1 heard them first, just in case . . .