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This marks the sixth and final episode of Rock School and this means that The Class will have to take their final exam: opening for rock gods Motorhead. Can they survive five thousand brutal hard rock fans? GENE SIMMONS has made it clear that if things go wrong, he will not step in. Of course, this is a reality show, so all the tension from previous weeks builds up and comes to an explosive end on the final episode. The Emperor (the frontman) has always been the odd man out in this little group of friends. He's already struggling enough being looked down upon for being a thirteen year-old, but he's not even accepted by his fellow pre-teens. The Class record their first single in a professional studio. The Emperor is still working on his vocals and is told to ad-lib a bit before he actually starts singing (stuff along the lines of "You might think I'm just a little boy... but I'm not! I'm a rockaaaah!"). He is told to not only do this for the record but to also do it at the gig. The rest of the band members are a little peeved that he's suddenly changing things up at the last minute. Rods, the band manager, is extra annoyed. The tension from this event, on top of Rods losing his chance to be the lead singer to The Emperor (who couldn't even carry a tune), resulted in a spat in the lunchroom (which reminds me of the Great Hall from the Harry Potter films). The Emperor, with tears streaming down his face, seeks Simmons' advice. Mr. Simmons suggests that he confront his bandmates, so The Emperor does. The confrontation doesn't turn out quite the way he would've liked (he called Rods a bad manager, Rods called The Emperor a bad singer, etc.) but it's all sorted out when Simmons comes in. He points out all the rock star posters he put up around the classroom and explains that several of these musicians couldn't stand their bandmates. They argued and bickered all the time, but when they got onstage, they were a band and delivered all that they could. So the thing is, their personalities are bound to clash but they've got to focus on the music and the performance. Simmons and The Class are anxious about their performance (which is coming fast). The kids are worried that they'll be embarrassed in front of thousands of adult fans but there's really not much they can do at this point. Mr. Simmons realizes that this isn't about him and his reputation... This is about the kids overcoming their inhibitions and becoming confident people. With just hours left, the group heads over to the Hammermsith Apollo, a legendary location with plenty of rock history. In fact, KISS played there thirty years ago as complete unknowns. Simmons has fond memories of giving a good performance and then doing an encore in the hotel room (ahem). The kids come just in time to see Motorhead's soundcheck and then meet up with the band for some advice. Their basic worry is the audience's reaction... they're only kids, after all. If the crowd doesn't respond after the ever-so important ritual of pumping up the audience, just start playing quick. And if someone spits on you, give attitude right back at them. The lead singer of Motorhead relays one story about how once, an audience member spat a big green glob onto him and he took it, smearing it in his hair. "I'll wash it tonight and I'll be clean, but tomorrow, you'll still be an asshole". That type of thing belongs in a fortune cookie. After this pep talk, The Class get costumed and are looking like rock stars... but can they perform like rock stars? They're still trying to overcome their pre-show jitters as the audience starts filing in. Their families are in the audience as well, looking a little shocked by the type of people turning up at the show (typical Motorhead fans). The audience already looks like a scary bunch, so dousing them in red lights doesn't help much. Quite honestly, I'm feeling rather anxious for The Class as they make their way onstage. Rods comes on to pump them up. He gives the mandatory "Are you ready to rock?!" and the audience seems a little hesitant to answer. There is a little cheering but some low boos can also be detected, threaded throughout. The kids look rocking (even though the outfits are little ridiculous) and the set looks great. The music starts up and The Emperor does his "So you think I'm just a little boy..." thing, sneering, snarling, acting like a real frontman. He starts hollering and even rips off his cape... Damn, he's really out there. The audience takes this very well though because they're throwing horns and bobbing their heads. The kids sound excellent. Dudders is playing the drums like there's no tomorrow, Camilla's rockin' some crazy hair, Jesse is fully involved with her guitar, Mr. Cool is super-cool, and The Emperor is... The Emperor. The song is catchy and loud and fun. You can't help but feel proud of these kids for moving thousands of hard rock fans. It's clear they've brought down the house because everyone is cheering like crazy at the end. People were headbanging, screaming, jumping around... This is a definite feel-good TV moment: I couldn't stop grinning while watching. Offstage, Simmons and Motorhead sing their praises (well... not literally "sing") and later, the families hug and KISS their children. Simmons is particularly proud, still blown away by their performance. He says that they've aged ten years in five minutes. The kids give a farewell performance at school for the students and it goes very well. Afterwards, Simmons comes onstage to say goodbye. He came as an arrogant guy that thought he knew it all, but these kids taught him a lot of things, including humility. When he would criticize them, the kids banded together to argue back and defend their group. He even learned to be more grown-up by being with these kids. In a rare compassionate moment, Simmons admits that they have touched his heart. The crowd goes, "Aww!" and rightfully so. To have a stuck-up rock star admit that these little pre-teens have made an impact on his life is nothing short of adorable. The kids are sad to see him go because Simmons has not been just a teacher, but a friend. Simmons says that he's "proud as all Hell" and signs some farewell letters to the kids. As he drives away in his limo, the kids wave goodbye. The Class of Rock School has graduated. |
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