Years active 1979–present | Location Greater Boston | |
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Genres Rock and roll, Pop music, Alternative rock, Power pop | ||
The Rock 'n' Roll Rumble (formerly the "WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble"), begun in 1979, is a Greater Boston "battle of the bands" competition sponsored by WZLX and its local music show Boston Emissions.
Contents
- Format of the Rumble
- Eligibility for the Rumble
- Judging Criteria
- History of the Rumble
- Notable Rumble Circumstances
- References
Its predecessors were the Bicentennial Tournament of the Bands held in 1976 at The Club in Cambridge, Massachusetts and co-sponsored by WBCN and Inn Square Men's Bar, as well as 1978's First Annual Spring Rock 'n' Roll Festival co-sponsored by WBCN and the Boston Phoenix.
The Rock 'n' Roll Rumble was held in Boston at the Rathskeller in Kenmore Square for its first two years and was often referred to as "the Rumble at the Rat." Steve Morse of the Boston Globe called the 1979 debut competition "nine nights of exhilarating grass-roots rock." Since then, the competition's venue has changed several times but remains a popular showcase for New England bands to gain visibility.
The Rumble is currently hosted and organized by Anngelle Wood, host of Boston Emissions. The 2017 Rumble is scheduled to begin on April 2, 2017, at the ONCE Ballroom in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Format of the Rumble
The Rumble in its current form begins in April with a week of preliminary rounds of 24 total bands, as selected by Anngelle Wood. The prelims take place on Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday, with Wednesday as a traditional "Day of Rest." Each night, four bands play a 30-minute set and are judged by a rotating selection of representatives from the Boston music industry. A winner is announced at the end of the night.
Each night's winner moves on to the semi-finals the following weekend, with two wildcard bands rounding out the top 8. The two semi-final winners are joined by one wildcard band for the final round the week after that. A special guest, often a national touring band or a previous Rumble participant, headlines the finals while the judges come to their final decision.
Prizes include cash, studio time, legal services, album production, bragging rights, and more. A ceremonial tiara is also passed from the previous year's winning act to the newly crowned champion.
Eligibility for the Rumble
While no band applies to play the Rumble, there are certain requirements for consideration. They include, but are not limited to:
Judging Criteria
As of 2012, The Rumble uses 45 judges (barring unforeseen circumstances), five for each night for the nine nights of competition. Each evening there are representatives from the music business, local media, and on-air personalities from local radio judging the bands. The judges observe each band and numerically score each 30-minute set. At the end of the night, the judges' scores are tallied two ways: 1) a straight tally of all judges' scores; and 2) a tally throwing out the high and low scores, using the middle scores as a backup in case of a tie or in the rare case of extreme bias in either direction. This method is intended to protect the bands against judging anomalies in the long run. As of 2014, the judging criteria were slightly revised, based on the discovery of a score card from 1981; the most notable change was the addition of a "stage presence" category.
1. Material: Were songs good, memorable? Did they all sound the same? (possible 1–10 points)
2. Playing Effectiveness: How well did band play? Were they tight? Intriguing? How did band represent their genre? (possible 1–10 points)
3. Vocal Effectiveness: How well did vocals (lead & backups) contribute to & enhance band? (possible 1–10 points)
4. Timing: Did band use set time wisely? Did set flow? Did it build in intensity? Did band stop too long? Were they on time? (possible 1–10 points)
5. Stage Presence: How did band present itself? Mannerisms? Banter? Were they fun to watch? Did they interact? Did crowd respond? (possible 1–10 points)
6. Bonus (Optional): Optional category to grant extra points based on any judge’s discretion, or the intangibles not covered above; an explanation is requested from the judge. (possible 1–5 points)
History of the Rumble
* = wildcard from preliminary round
‡ = wildcard from semifinal round
x = withdrew from competition
§ = runner-up in preliminary round; re-entered competition due to another band's withdrawal
Notable Rumble Circumstances
1995: Pooka Stew, then one of the area's top-drawing live rock acts, were two songs into their finals set when the power to the PA in the Middle East went off without explanation. The band finished their set without the PA, which came on again for eventual winner Doc Hopper's set. In their finals set, Doc Hopper destroyed a toilet onstage with sledge hammers.
1999: After a tie in the semifinals, which would given a three-way final matchup, WBCN introduced a wild card into the final round.
2010: There was no Rock 'n' Roll Rumble this year, due to the reorganization of CBS Radio's Boston stations and the loss of WBCN's FM broadcast.
2011: Jenny Dee and the Deelinquents made Rumble history by becoming the first band to drop out of the competition, due to a scheduling conflict, after winning their preliminary night. This allowed a previously eliminated band, OldJack, to re-enter the competition in the semifinal round, having been the runner-up on the night that Jenny Dee won.
2012: The Grownup Noise withdrew from the Rumble (prior to performing) due to an injury sustained by one of its members; they were invited back as the non-competing guest band to play at the finals.
2013: Night two of the semifinals was postponed due to the lockdown of the city during the April 19 manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.
2014: FEINTS withdrew from the competition, prior to their semifinal performance, due to illness. Yellabird, as runner-up in the preliminary round, assumed their place in the semifinals.