SFRQ 2012 Manukau & North Shore Heats results

Aspiring rock musicians sang, strummed and strutted their stuff over the weekend at the Smokefreerockquest Manukau and North Shore heats, with the 12 top bands and soloists from each event selected by the judges to go on to the regional finals next month.

SFRQ founder and director Glenn Common says Smokefreerockquest is a unique vehicle for engaging and inspiring young people right around New Zealand.
“This year we expect to crack the level of 800 bands entering – that is around 3000 kids being giving the experience of playing their own music live on stage to their peers,” he says. “Smokefreerockquest is an empowering and valuable experience even for the bands who don’t make it through to the finals.”

The bands selected from heats at the Alfriston College Theatre to compete in the Manukau final are:

Backdrifters Manurewa High School
A Reflection of Yesterday Alfriston College
SecondGEN Alfriston College
Kingdoms Collapse Alfriston College
Mi Pasifix Manurewa Intermediate
Missy Manurewa High School
Greatwhitebuffalo Pakuranga College
Bradas Alfriston College
We See In Colour Papatoetoe High School
Harry Ray Jones Papatoetoe High School
If All Else Fails Botany Downs Secondary College
Anthropode Rosehill College
The Manukau finals are at the Telstraclear Pacific Centre on Friday 22 June, starting at 7pm, tickets $20 at Ticket Direct or at the door.

The bands selected from the North Shore Heats to go on the final are:
Invalid Kaipara College
Hannah Kaipara College
Avalon Hewitt Kaipara College
Winnie and the Fros Kaipara College
The Whodunnits Long Bay College Westlake Boys’ HS
Heroes for Sale Green Bay High School
Red September Rangitoto College
Scamp and Yeah Rangitoto College
Get Off The Grass Rangitoto College
EXIT 420 Takapuna Grammar School
Zkabby Jams Edgewater Collage
Anastasis Orewa College, Wentworth College
The North Shore finals are at the Bruce Mason Centre on Saturday 23 June starting at 7pm, $20 at Ticket Direct or at the door.

Auckland Central heats were held last weekend and their finals are at Mercury Theatre on Friday 8 June and Saturday 9 June, starting at 7pm, tickets $20 at Ticket Direct or at the door.

Music teacher Kyle Proffit who now mentors last year’s national winners, The Peasants, says he really values having Smokefreerockquest as a goal for his students.

“The structure of the competition creates opportunities for teachers to assess students’ progress and grade them for NCEA,” he says. “Although it’s primarily a music competition, it is much more than just another performance opportunity. It shows young people how much fun playing music together can be, it teaches them to cooperate and learn together, to support and challenge each other – a whole range of skills that can be applied across their broader education and in everyday life.”

The regional SFRQ events run every weekend until 21 July, then the top regional bands submit videos, from which eight bands or soloists are selected to play off at the national final at Claudelands Arena in Hamilton on 22 September. The big incentive is a prize package that includes a NZ On Air new recording and music video grant worth over $10,000, a place on the NZ On Air Kiwi Hit Disc, musical gear to the value of $10,000 from NZ Rockshops, radio promotional support for a single, and video play on youth music channel FOUR. There is also the MAINZ Scholarship for outstanding musicianship, the APRA Lyric Award, the Lowdown Best Song Award, the Smokefree Women’s Musicianship Award and the Skinny People’s Choice Award, voted by text during the regionals, with the opportunity to open at the SFRQ national final.

More info at sfrq.co.nz or facebook.com/thesfrq

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