SIX months after Head of Expressive Arts, Mr.Gibbs suggested four Year 10 students form a band, Thursday’s Child will be appearing at Ramsbottom’s ‘Head to the Hills’ Festival in September!
Joe Charles, now in Year 11, plays cajon – a box shaped percussion instrument and he explained: “Mr. Gibbs entered the rock band category in the Rochdale Festival of Performing Arts, but at the time the school didn’t have even have one! So he suggested we all get together and form Thursday’s Child”
Vocalist Kayleigh Mableson had already been singing with percussionist and backing vocalist India Flavell, who was given a ukulele for her birthday.
The final student making up the quartet is Lewis Fielding who plays guitar.
The group’s debut YouTube cover of Amy Winehouse’s Valerie has had almost 2,000 views and at the Rochdale Festival they scored 91 per cent – beating all the other bands.
Kayleigh said: “Since forming we were finalists in the ‘Sing Bolton Sing’ competition in partnership with Bolton FM and have recorded Jolene, Oops I did it Again, Hey Ya and Big Yellow Taxi.”
The band has a current play list of 11 songs and has performed at Tor View’s Shine Arts Festival, Edenfield Fete, Glaston-Bury, Edgeside’s The Fest and at Feniscowles Cricket Club.
Closer to home, Thursday’s Child has twice gigged at The Woolpack, in Haslingden, and performed at the Rossendale Schools’ Arts Festival in Bacup.
All four band members are hoping to stay on at our Sixth Form after GCSEs and India, Kayleigh and Lewis want to take A level music.
Kayleigh said: “I never expected us to do so well, especially as we were put together so quickly and only had about a month to rehearse as a band before the Rochdale festival.
“We are trying to keep the band together, although this is our GCSE year so we may not be doing as many gigs, but hopefully this will be something we can continue into Sixth Form.”
It seems Mr. Gibbs definitely has an eye for talent!
Thursday’s Child will be on stage in Ramsbottom on Sunday September 17.
To watch the group follow the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-VIHykfDCQ