By James and Zoe

For their first piece, the band performed an exciting piece with a fast, loud rhythm on two drum kits attached to a wall of scaffolding at a right angle to the ground, so the audience could see how the band played the piece, and the percussionists had to reach for a drum or cymbal in order to hit it, so they created visual patterns with their arms, combining percussion with choreography. The piece was very unconventional and unique!

The band then introduced themselves to the audience as Tak, Katie-Lee, and Murray. They then performed a complex piece that used a xylophone and a violin with complicated and subtle rhythms and a slow, melancholy melody.

Their next piece, about an old van going into a tropical thunderstorm, was entitled An Old Van Going Into A Tropical Thunderstorm! Cymbals and drums created thunder, and a few metal poles of varied length were used as the old van’s indicators. This piece was incredible; I could visualise a rusty old van driving into a raging thunderstorm.

Afterwards, they got the audience to pick two teachers to have a drum-off for a prize. The teachers were picked and Mr Harding and Mr Yates came to the stage. Once they got to the stage they started with Mr Yates hitting a drum on the beat 2 and 4 and Mr Harding hitting a cymbal on the beat 1, 2, 3 and 4. After a while it was time to do their solos, Mr Yates was first and did an outstanding job. Then it was Mr Harding’s turn and he also did an amazing job and got the whole school clapping their hands! But it wasn't over, it was a drum battle right? So the judging was a very hard decision but it had to be done. Mr Harding was the winner! He won a delicious chocolate egg.

Now it was time for the students to come up and perform! All the kids' hands were up but only six could be picked. Dayline, Una, Flynn, Sophie, Ellie and Prisha were chosen. Sophie said: “it was very fun and cool but it got harder as it got faster.” Ellie said: “I was very happy to be called and nervous to be called at the same time. As it got faster it was very hard to keep up.” Flynn said: “it was hard to keep in time and it was sore to hold it in your hand.”

For a grand finale, they got Isla and Isla to turn off the lights. Murray then lit three matches and distributed them among the group. The band then got spray bottles of disinfectant and held a match in one hand, disinfectant in the other. They held the matches out in front of them, and held the bottles of disinfectant a few centimetres behind. Then they sprayed the disinfectant! When the disinfectant hit the matches, it caught fire, and then it kept going forward, creating two metre long fountains of flame that shot forward with a whooshing sound towards the audience, stopping just a few metres away from them! The band proceeded to play a piece of music, using the whooshing sound the flames created to create a tune, firing flames in all directions! When they finished, they blew out their matches, the lights were turned back on, and they took a bow to ear-shattering applause.

“It was unexpected and mesmerising,” said Ellie. “It was great!” Flynn commented. “It was my favourite part of the performance,” said Zara.

It was a fantastic performance, enjoyed by all of Westburn, one that I am sure everyone who witnessed it will never forget. “The people at Strike were really great; they let us play the instruments, do a sound check, and speak and sing into the microphone, " said Zach. “It was very loud and fun, and Murray, Katie-Lee, and Tak are very talented,” said Flynn. I am sure everyone at Westburn is very grateful Strike came to Westburn.