A Basingstoke band is pushing for a shot at the big time after scooping a chance to play in front of 20,000 people.
Student rockers RetroGrade beat five other groups to win the final of the Battle Of The School Bands at the Hexagon Theatre in Reading last month.
The unsigned band consists of singer Alex Gonzato, guitarist Jon Cullis, Liam Kinslow on bass, Fraser Roskilly on lead guitar and drummer Toby Bartlett.
The Brighton Hill Community College students took home the chance to play in front of football fans at the Madejski Stadium in Reading.
The venue will prove to be a tough challenge for the 16-year-olds despite them winning over the 900-strong crowd in Reading.
But having impressed the judges, including Human League producer Martin Rushnet and Spice Girls producer Mark Evans, they hope it will lead to a bright future.
Toby told the Basingstoke Observer: “The Reading gig was by far the highlight of our time in the band.
“We entered the competition the year before and it was crushing not to have won that.
“But we came back and to see our hard work produce something like we did on the night was truly indescribable to be honest.”
On top of playing in front of their biggest crowd to date the band will get a recording session at Reading’s White House Studios and the opportunity to play at Reading’s Outside Inside Festival this summer.
But the band said they don’t plan to stop there. On March 6 they gigged with Andy Burrows, former drummer with chart-topping Razorlight.
Toby said: “It was great to get some praise from him. He said he was impressed with our music which meant a lot coming from him.”
RetroGrade formed two years ago and cite Oasis, Muse and Kings of Leon as influences.
And on February 26 the band passed the auditions of the regional heats of Live And Unsigned in Aldershot.
They will go back in a bid to reach the southern finals in April.
But the band said they are focussing on putting on a good show for the football fans in April.
Toby said: “We are all very excited play in front of that many people and we are going to enjoy it. We are just happy to have this opportunity.”
