By Christy Parker

Youghal’s magnificent music tradition has just been enhanced in New Zealand, where a national success story is found to have strong connections with the town. School band Rock Per Minute have been voted Best Kiwi Kid Band in the second annual ‘Nick Rocks’ contest run by renowned children’s media-entertainment service Nickelodeon. The line-up includes Cormac Seymour, guitarist and vocalist and grandson of Eddie and May O’Brien, McCurtainstown, Front Strand.

Eddie and May’s daughter Lorreto is married to builder Joe Seymour, whom she met in Australia. Eleven years ago she and Joe settled in New Zealand, where Cormac was born a year later and where Loretto is a nurse. The family live in the charming, temptingly titled Bay of Plenty on North Island’s Pacific Coast. They visit Youghal every few years, most recently last Christmas.

The search for Best Kiwi Kid Band drew 70 entries from throughout New Zealand. Each act submitted a cd, with the three finalists filmed in performance prior to the final online/text voting process. Impressively, RPM submitted a jointly penned number, Second Chance, which was aired on Nickelodeon throughout August.

The winner’s have already had Second Chance recorded and video’d by Nickeledeon, to run online and on TV from Sept 21st. Recording allowed the band a tantalising taste of the fruits of rock stardom, as they, their parents and music teacher Tim Acker travelled on expenses to Auckland for two days. “We stayed in a beautiful apartment overlooking the Auckland Harbour. The boys had an endless supply of food and drinks and were kitted out in new clothes by a clothes label here!” says Loretto, who is no doubt now wondering why on earth she opted for nursing! Further awards include interviews on NZ national radio station Classic Hits and in Upstart magazine.

The band, formed in 2005, also reached the last three in 2007. They describe their music as “rock and pop” and Loretto cites their influences as “Foo Fighters, U2, John Jackson, plus NZ bands Opshop and Pluto” and hope to stay together through high school at least.

Like most of life’s success, everything hinges on belief, practice and dedication of course. Proud of his her son’s “well deserved” success, Loretto refers to weekly guitar lessons, daily acoustic practice and band rehearsals every Friday’s at school. “They also practice every second Saturday next door at Rory’s (the drummer) as that’s where he drum kit is!”, she adds.

Skills are further honed with plenty of live performances, as befits a band with a growing reputation. “Us parents are getting quite good at setting up equipment and being roadies,” says Loretto, determined to hang onto the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle for as long as possible -or until some ‘real girls’ eventually start arriving on the scene, no doubt!

Meanwhile in McCurtainstown, Eddie and May O’Brien are “absolutely delighted” with their grandson’s success. “He has always been very good on the guitar”, says Eddie who, along with May, last visited their daughter and family two years ago.

As the Strand Church sacristan, Eddie’s duties would once have embraced bell ringing, but despite this admittedly tentative evidence, he modestly declines credit for any musical influence on his grandson. (If only Bob Dylan had sung about The Chimes They Are A-Changin’). “His uncle plays music so I think it comes from the other side of the family,”. In any case, Rock Per Minute may well ring a bell for music fans in the years to come.

Rock Per Minute can be seen form September 21st on: http://www.nicknz.co.nz