For Cathedral College Wangaratta’s Year Ten students, the school formal became a night straight out of a dream when ARIA-winning duo Peking Duk made a surprise appearance. The incredible night was made possible by the bold initiative of Year Ten student, Kai McPhan, whose charm and initiative turned a hopeful request into the event of the year.
Kai’s message was politely direct: “I want it to be the sickest party, and I know you guys will smash it … my sister even has a massive speaker that should help.” Signing it off with “Kindest of kind regards.”
Kai’s genuine tone caught the attention of Reuben Styles and Adam Hyde (aka Peking Duk), who posted it on social media, promising to DJ if their post reached 50,000 likes.
The duo stuck to their promise, making their way to Wangaratta on 24 October. The venue was kept a secret to create an unforgettable evening exclusively for Kai, his friends, and their year group cohort, with more than a few teachers joining in the fun. Mr Nick Jones, Principal, who coordinated the logistics with Peking Duk’s team, called the performance “incredible,” adding, “Reuben, Adam and their team were great to deal with and are amazing world-class artists. Our ears rang for hours, but it was so worth it!”
Kai enjoyed being a celebrity for a few weeks and even had a media appearance on Sunrise. “I commend Kai for his initiative and being enterprising. That one email set off a chain of events that provided our students with one of the best nights of their life”, said Mr Jones.
As for Kai, it was a dream come true. “I’m still lost for words, still shocked about Adam and Reuben making time to come down to Wangaratta”, he said.
“The atmosphere they brought with them was contagious. Me and my friends loved every second of it and we are all still buzzing about it at school and cannot stop watching the videos we got of them.
“There aren’t words to describe how grateful and appreciative I am for Adam and Reuben making time to come down. I loved it!”
