25 Years of Rock & Respect: Celebrating Platform One at GG's
25 Years of Rock & Respect: Celebrating Platform One at GG's
What a day, what a night, and what an incredible 25 years!
On Saturday, 30th May, the Isle of Wight’s creative community took over GG’s Bar & Restaurant in Newport to celebrate a monumental milestone: a quarter-century of Platform One Music College. I was incredibly honoured to be invited along as the official photographer, capturing the immense talent, nostalgia, and energy from behind the lens.
From morning rock anthems to an evening of star-studded alumni reunions, here is how we marked 25 years of creative excellence.
The celebrations kicked off early with the high-octane RockSchool Finale, and let’s just say, the morning coffee wasn’t needed once these kids took the stage!
Platform One’s Saturday RockSchool has long been the ultimate training ground for the Island's future rockstars, and they turned GG's into a full-blown stadium archive before lunchtime. Showing absolutely zero fear, these brilliant young performers thrashed, rolled, and owned the stage with the kind of raw, infectious energy that had everyone grinning from ear to ear. If anyone was worried about the future of rock and roll, rest easy—these kids are ready to blow the windows out, and it was an absolute blast to capture!
Part Two: An Evening of Alumni & Student Talent
As night fell, the energy shifted into a full-blown anniversary gala. Meticulously organised by the second-year BTEC students, the evening was a stunning showcase of the college's past, present, and future.
What made the night extra special was that the students didn't just book the acts—they ran the stage itself. From managing tight changeovers to handling the technical sound and live production, the student crew kept the night running flawlessly. Their hard work meant the stage lighting was a total dream to shoot, beautifully illuminating a stellar line-up:
The First-Years: High-energy tribute band performances.
The Second-Years: Impressive, original music.
The Project: The degree-level house band, who closed the night with a masterclass headline set.
