Resistance is Futile, These Kids Will Melt Your Heart

Video: Facebook

Students from Ipswich West State Special School have shown they are anything but just another brick in the wall, after getting a call up to perform with English rock legend Roger Waters of
Pink Floyd fame.

Roger Waters played two shows at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre as part of his world tour Us + Them.

But it wasn’t just the music legend and familiar songs that the crowd was going wild for.

Enter 12 school children from Ipswich West State Special School.

With heads bowed, their faces hidden by hoods, the flashing lights dart around stage as the loud music from The Happiest Days of Our Lives blared in their ears.

They stood still and blind for about 3 minutes. It’s wasn’t until Waters broke into his performance of Pink Floyd’s most famous song, Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2), that the children removed their hoods, threw them on the stage and turned their faces to the spotlight.

Ipswich West State Special School student Kyarna, 13, describes that moment.

“It was scary and fun. I loved dancing on stage with a lot of people watching,” Kyarna said.

“Having the hood on was scary, sometimes when I’m scared I pretend I’m dreaming.

“I want to do it again and again.”

The crowd went wild again at the 4 minute mark when they tear off their prison suits to reveal black t-shirts with the word RESIST written in white.

For most of the performance, the camera slowly panned across their faces giving each child time to be seen on the enormous screen behind them on stage.

Ipswich West State Special School student Seth, 12, wasn’t worried about the hood.

“I was just waiting for the countdown,” Seth said.

“My favourite part was dancing with everyone together.

“They (audience) were all clapping for us.”

Straight after their performance was an interval and the children had their pictures taken with Roger Waters.

Seth took the opportunity to ask Roger a question.

“What’s your name?” Seth said, to which Roger replied “I’m Roger. I’m that old bloke on stage.”

Video: Facebook

Ipswich West State Special School senior secondary teacher Laura Bucciarelli accompanied the children and rates the night as a truly memorable.

“The first night there was nerves but the second night they just owned the stage, poor Roger,” Ms Bucciarelli laughs.

The children would have been almost back at Ipswich by the time Roger Waters was speaking to the crowd at the end of the night.

“We shared the stage today with your children from Brisbane who move me deeply, I’m looking forward to working with them again tomorrow night,” Mr Waters said.

He goes on rather emotionally to say that his show had a message.

“Love has the transcendental ability to affect everything in our lives.”

For the 12 lucky children from the Ipswich West State Special School, they will forever remember their time on stage.

The love flowing to them from over 9500 screaming fans was indeed transcendental particularly for these special children, who are already overcoming extra struggles every day compared to most their age.

Superstars Kyarna and Seth are two of the 12 lucky students from Ipswich West State Special School who performed on stage with Roger Waters.

Renae Somerville
Principal, Ipswich West State Special School

The concert promoter, Live Nation, approached the Variety Club and said Roger wanted 12 students to perform on stage with him at his concert.

They asked for kids between 10-15 years old so we put their names in a hat and just randomly pulled them out.

The P&C is raising money for a school van. We only have a big one vehicle as we have children here from Prep to Year 12 and they participate in various community based programs. In years 10,11 and 12 in particular, they are doing work placements.

So we need a smaller vehicle to get them around. Variey have been involved in helping us raise money for that. So they thought of us straight away.

On top of that Roger is also donating $500 per concert to the Variety club ($1000 in total) which they are donating in turn to our school P&C for our new vehicle.

But the opportunity to get our kids front and centre at a world tour is just amazing.

We know our kids are really capable so it shows other people that they are really capable and can do anything.

The children got to keep their ‘resist’ shirts and they were each sent a personalised photo of them with Roger.

It was a huge task for the staff, very late nights, but that’s the type of staff we’ve got here at this school. They are really committed to seeing the kids succeed. I’ve very proud of my staff for they do achieve.