University and school are all about a time of learning, no question, but nobody said the lessons taught are to be confined just to the classrooms.
We speak of the knowledge acquired from the classmates we meet during these times of study, some of which will inevitably have a lasting impact on our lives.
If you think this is nonsense, take a look at some of the most celebrated bands in the rich tapestry of music history. Groups from U2 to Queen came together during their schooling years, whilst outfits such as MGMT met some years later during their tertiary studies.
This extends to our shores too, Australia’s current kick-ass quintet The Preatures didn’t meet or formally come together until they found each other at the Australian Institute of Music in 2008, well after their high school studies.
Such stories got us a little excited at Tone Deaf, so we decided to piece together a list of unreal bands that formed as a result of being classroom chums.
MGMT
The tale of this psychedelic-pop duo sees it’s origins housed in the halls of Wesleyan University, Connecticut.
Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser became buds in their freshman year of Uni and as Goldwasser confirmed, they had zero intention of forming a musical group, “we weren’t trying to start a band, we were just hanging out and showing each other music that we liked.”
Clearly their similar tastes sparked some form of creative genius, a few years the duo relocating to Brooklyn and releasing their revolutionary debut record, Oracular Spectacular.
Champions of the mid-to-late-noughties, MGMT are responsible for bringing forth the alternative sounds of neo-psychedelica to the mainstream masses.
The Preatures
This Sydney five-piece are just about the hottest thing in Australian music right now.
Having sold-out shows around the country on their national tour, to being announced as support acts for the one and only Rolling Stones, there’s no question The Preatures are killing it, so where did they come from?
The band find their origins when vocalist/guitarist Gideon Bensen and guitarist Jack Moffitt met in highschool. However, it wasn’t until 2008 when the pair met Isabella Manfredi at the Australian Institute of Music that the beginnings of a band begun.
The year 2010 saw the addition of Thomas Champion and Luke Davison and after an eventual name change, the titanic The Preatures were born.
Kingswood
With the release of their absolutely smashing debut record Microscopic Wars, Kingswood are definitely one of Australia’s greatest achievements in 2014. After a lengthy chat with the band a few months ago, we discovered the guys had indeed attended high school together in Prahran, a southern suburb of Melbourne, Alex and Ferg even performing songs live together at the ripe old age of 12.
Alex commented on these days to us,“We played three songs, one was an original called ‘Living On The Edge’ and then we played two covers, one was Aerosmith’s ‘I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing’ and the other one was Lynard Skynard’s ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and we played to 12 girls and that was it and we thought we were fucking boss.” Clearly these early days set the guys up for future glory.
The Strokes
What is there left to be said of the faces of late 2000s New York City legends, The Strokes?
They’ve been (rightfully) praised as the saviours of alternative rock and were the leading force in breathing a fresh air of brilliance into the world’s music scene at the turn of century with their debut record, Is This It?
With such accolades, one wonders how a band could earn such a title. Well, as we’re realising with this piece, years of history is everything, and for boys of The Strokes who have known each other since primary school, their story is riddled with history.
A fun fact, lead vocalist Julian Casablancas and guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. met in Switzerland when Casablancas was sent abroad at the age of 13 to improve his academic performance.
Silverchair
One of, if not the most revered rock outfit of the Australian ’90s, Silverchair is a favourite story that begins with some very, very fresh faced schoolboys.
Lead guitar and vocalist Daniel Johns and drummer Ben Gillies attended the same primary school in Newcastle of New South Wales before recruiting bassist Chris Joannau a few laters in high school.
Donned by many as “the teenaged Aussie Nirvana” Silverchair were shot into stardom with their killer single ‘Tomorrow’, a staple tune in any Aussie music lover who existed’s diet.
Radiohead
Just about anything/everything this band release is met with universal acclaim and praise, and it comes as no surprise when you consider the amount of time the group have spent making music together.
Having formed at their high school in Oxfordshire under the moniker On A Friday, the UK favourites spent their high school days creating and rehearsing in music rooms.
Clearly, Radiohead knew they were onto something early, the band refusing to split despite members moving away for University, the guys would continue to get together on weekends and holidays before virtually taking over the music world.
INXS
Australian superstars of the 1980s and early ’90s INXS are a group that trace their first roots from high school days.
Keyboardist Andrew Fariss convinced his Davidson High School chum, Michael Hutchence, to join his then-band, Doctor Dolphin, while future INXS member Garry Beers attended Forest High School.
Cutting a long story short, the boys of Doctor Dolphin joined forces with Fariss’ older brother Tim, who was in a two-piece entitled “Kirk and Tim,” creating what would be the original line-up of an Australian national treasure.
Queen
Queen met at college when guitarist Brian May and bassist Tim Stafell decided to form a band. Posting an advertisement at their college for a drummer, a dental student by the name of Roger Taylor scored a spot, and the three formed a band entitled Smile.
A curious lad by the name of Farrokh Bulsara, better known as Freddie Mercury, knew Stafell and became a fan of Smile.
Stafell departed Smile for a new band and eventually the remaining members settled on bassist John Deacon and switched their name from Smile, to Queen.
U2
Before these Irish rockers were invading our iPhones without our consent, they were a great band that significantly impacted the face of music (forget Bono’s glasses for a minute and admit it.)
As one of the biggest bands in the world today, U2’s entire story begun under the roof of one high school, and it’s a pretty spectacular beginning.
In 1976, a 14-year old drummer by the name of Larry Mullen Jr. posted a bulletin note up at his school that called for musicians to start a band with. Six people responded, three of which included Paul Hewson (Bono), David Evans (The Edge) and Adam Clayton, U2 was born.
The rest honestly is history from there, the four-piece released Boy four years later and became darlings of the rock world there short after.
Want the chance to meet your collaborative music soul-mate? The Australian Institute of Music offer courses in Composition & Music Production and Audio Engineering where you’ll get all the opportunity you need. Apply now.
