Parents Battle of the Bands
The Prince Bandroom in St Kilda was rocking last night for the Parents Battle of the Bands – Southside Finals!
The Portals—Three-Time Winners!
Our very own Port Melbourne Primary School parents' band, The Portals, lit up the stage last night, delivering another unforgettable performance—and bringing home the trophy for the third year in a row!
The band were ecstatic with their win:
Wooo hoooo it’s a 'threepeat'!!!! Our secret weapon in every battle is the PMPS parents crowd. They’re the reason we do so well in this competition, so a huge thank you to those who turned up. You are the real rockstars! A special shout out to our new drummer, Danny, who has been playing drums for less than 18 months – what a legend. 💪🏻 – Steve Plarre, singer in The Portals
If you missed the gig, their setlist included classics like:
- Simply the Best – Tina Turner
- You Oughta Know – Alanis Morissette
- Slice of Heaven – Dave Dobbyn
- Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond (a crowd singalong favourite!)
The Portals opened with a spectacular light show, set to Danger Zone from Top Gun. Smoke machines were pumping and the crowd lit up in a sea of red as the band directed the audience down the runway for the rest of the gig.
They finished with a breathtaking performance of Meat Loaf’s I Would Do Anything for Love. The band seamlessly transitioned from rock stars to full-blown theatre performers in this iconic power ballad. Karen and Steve captured the emotion of the song flawlessly—giving the audience chills!
Other schools that rocked the night included Galilee (taking out 2nd place), Middle Park Primary, St Kilda Primary, and Elsternwick Primary—with amazing performances from all.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended. Proceeds from the ticket sales go directly to supporting our school music program, and we can’t wait to see what Miss Maria will do with the funds!
Port Melbourne’s parent band have so far raised over $12,000 for our fabulous school.
Upcoming gigs
For those who missed it, don't worry—there’s more to come! The Parents Battle of the Bands Northside vs Southside Finals is in the works – local schools and ones from across the river will compete for the title of Melbourne’s Best Parent Band. Check them out at The Corner Hotel in Richmond on 18 September!
You can also catch a gig at The Exchange, where members from The Portals, and the original PMPS parents' band, The Last Port, are performing. They'll be playing at the family friendly Port Melbourne Music Crawl on Sunday 8 June.