Last night, I had the absolute pleasure of being one of the judges at Construction Rocks. Now in its ninth year it’s a staple in every muso’s calendar, and channelling my best Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell, I found my skinniest pair of jeans and put my best tapping foot forward.
Returning to last year’s venue of Scala in London’s King’s Cross, Construction Rocks has grown into a two-day band extravaganza, with new bands on night one and the vintage contingent returning for night two. I was in the frame to judge night two and joined by veteran and Head Judge, Sarah Richardson, Editor of Building Magazine.
Every year I’m blown away by the talent and professionalism of the bands who have actual day jobs in property and construction. This year did not disappoint. Soul Agent of Cushman & Wakefield kicked off proceedings with a hip-shaking, toe-tapping and very sparkly set! Not an easy gig to go first, as the mosh pit was still filling up, but they managed to get the crowd going with their rendition of Blur’s Parklife. The energy continued with one of the most charismatic frontmen we’ve ever seen, for KLH UK’s Propheads who went on to win Best Stage Performance. Major props from LandAid for name-checking us at the end of the night and leading to a flurry of further donations!
My personal highlights of the night included Levitt Bernstein Associates’ Team Zissou for their commitment to the craft, donning overalls, red bobble hats and releasing inflatable fish into the audience, as well as getting through a staggering eight songs during their set. Balfour Beatty’s Zero Charm appeared to have bags of charm, having wowed judges and crowd alike to waltz off with the trophy for Best Band once again, despite some fantastic competition from WSP/PB’s No Smoke Without Fire. If there was a trophy for best T-shirts, their light-up flame wear had my vote!
A special mention for Mace’s White City Vultures who raised over £3,000 for LandAid and won the Biggest Fundraiser trophy, pushing the total to over £100,000 over the years from this epic Battle of the Bands event. It’s a real testament to the team behind Construction Rocks – so a big thank you to Nigel, Bill and Martina for putting on such a fabulous two days. I for one cannot wait for next year’s 10th anniversary event. Now just need to find a red bobble hat and a noteworthy T-shirt…
All photos: John Duke, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff