Deep into the fandom of the Harry Potter universe, if you listen carefully you may hear one tear drop. No, actually you’ll hear a bass pounding, an electric guitar riff, a steady drumbeat and some singing with literary references. This is called Wizard Rock or WRock. The movement began in 2002 when the first Harry Potter movie came out. It was created and cultivated by a Massachusetts group named Harry and the Potters. The band consists of two brothers, Joe and Paul DeGeorge. They take the stage every weekend dressed up as Harry Potter while playing songs all about the Harry Potter universe. Since their debut, over 75 Wizard Rock bands have emerged. Geekycon (formerly known as Leakycon), a Harry Potter convention in Orlando, fla. even has a Wizard Rock concert at night. The following are some of the most popular Wizard Rock bands to pay attention to.
Harry and the Potters
Image courtesy of wrock.traductuer.com.
Some of their famous songs include “Save Ginny Weasley,” “Save Ginny Weasley from Dean Thomas,” and “Voldemort Can’t Stop the Rock.”
Draco and the Malfoys
Image courtesy of bookpunks.com.
“My Dad is Rich” (I mentioned some of their award winning lyrics previously), “Voldemort is Awesome,” and “All I want for Christmas” is in their repertoire. In 2004 the formed as the second WRock band in retaliation to Harry and the Potters.
The Whomping Willows
Image courtesy of Geekycon.com.
Clearly you can see the naming pattern of these bands. The Whomping Willows came soon after Draco and the Malfoys. Their hits include “Hey Remus, I Believe in Nargles,” and “Ginny is a Punk Rocker.”
The Moaning Myrtles
Image courtesy of myspace.com.
Clearly, this name is a crowd pleaser because I’m sure everyone’s favorite HP character is Moaning Myrtle. Despite their name and music, they are fairly popular in the WRock community. The Moaning Myrtles have even played at Geekycon. Fans can expect to hear “And Then I Died,” “Emo Guy,” and “You Can’t Speak Snake” if attending one of their concerts.
Realistically speaking, is the music any good? Honestly, nope. Talent is definitely lacking in the Wizard Rock community. Most of the lyrics are ridiculously dumb with my personal favorite being, “My dad is rich. Your dad is dead.” by Draco and the Malfoys. There are some good examples of what Wizard Rock could be. One is a song called “Honeydukes” written by Kirstyn Hippe and made famous by Joey Richter (Ron Weasley in A Very Potter Musical) and Mary Kate Wiles (Lydia in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries). Another is “Horcruxes” written by Kirstyn Hippe and performed by Mary Kate Wiles in the short film I Ship It along with “Honeydukes.” The most impressive thing about Wizard Rock though isn’t the music. Rather, this successful niche of geeky fandom just goes to show how much a single book series can change lives.