Starring Brad Giffen No. of seasons 1 First episode date 1 February 1985 Network CBC Television Genre Variety show | Country of origin Canada Original network CBC Television Final episode date May 1985 Number of seasons 1 | |
Location(s) Vancouver, British Columbia Original release February 1, 1985 – May 1985 | ||
Rock Wars is a Canadian television variety series, which aired in 1985 on CBC Television. A national "battle of the bands" competition, the series featured unsigned musical groups competing in a series of regional concerts held in various cities across Canada, with the winner of each episode advancing to another round of competition until the ultimate winner was named at a final concert staged in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Hosted by Brad Giffen, the program aired on Friday nights as a companion to the network's music video series Good Rockin' Tonite. Judges over the course of the series included Keith Sharp of Music Express, Samantha Taylor of CBC's Video Hits and CFNY-FM program director David Marsden.
The winner of the competition was to receive a half-hour CBC Television special devoted to the band, as well as a cash prize of CA$100,000.
The series was won by Tchukon, a funk and rhythm and blues band from Montreal, Quebec, over finalists Eye Eye, HB Concept and Peter Mann and the Lonely. Other competitors over the course of the series included Monuments Galore, The Instructions, The Rage, The Stilettos, Eight Seconds, The Waiting, Haywire, Mad Shadows, Steps Around the House, Apple Viper, Zlatko and The Micah Barnes Band.
Tchukon later went on to win Best Vocal Group in the 1986 edition of the American series Star Search.