Smokefreerockquest 2013 – 25 Years of Music Success

The Regent Theatre will be pumping on Friday 21 June as the top youth bands in Manawatu play off in the regional final of Smokefreerockquest 2013.

Smokefreerockquest founder and director Glenn Common says he’s expecting the usual wide age range in the audience on Friday night.

“As well as peer support, we see grandparents and parents coming along to SFRQ to see their kids excel on stage, under lights in a real theatre – it’s a professional set up and they respond to this opportunity,” he said. “Over the 25 years we’ve been running SFRQ it’s been a positive influence on thousands of young people’s lives and has created a way for kids to communicate with each other and with their parents and teachers.”

The bands and solo/duos competing to join the ranks of Kiwi music success at the Manawatu regional final are:

Cool like Harold Palmerston North Boys' High School
Peyton Morete Te Horo School (Otaki)
Body Burner Awatapu College
I Was Told There’d Be Cake Tararua College
Indecisive Waiopehu College
The Marton Boys Palmerston North Boys' High School
Brace Horowhenua College
Annie Webster Freyberg High School
The Jefferys Freyberg High School
66 Queens Horowhenua College
Hot Property Feilding High School
Black Friday Palmerston North Boys' High School

The Manawatu final is at the Regent Theatre on Friday 21 June, start time 7pm, tickets $20 from Ticket Direct or at the door. The guest act is local electronic duo Huf, playing one of their final gigs before going to Japan for a nine show tour.

At the Manawatu final awards will be made for first and second solo/duos, the top three bands, the MAINZ Musicianship Award, Smokefree Award For Women’s Musicianship, Lowdown Best Song, the APRA Lyrics Award and the Skinny Mobile People’s Choice voted by text.

The top two bands and solo/duos will send in their videos for selection as one of the six bands and two solo/duos to play off at the national final in Auckland on September 28.

Smokefreerockquest, powered by Rockshop, has national winners’ prize packages for bands and the solo/duo winners, that include musical gear to a total value of $13,000 from NZ Rockshops and their suppliers, inclusion on the NZ On Air Kiwi Hit Disc, radio promotional support, 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 Mobile People’s Choice voted by text with the opportunity to open the SFRQ National final.

National Finalist selection process: Two bands from each of 23 regional finals send in their videos for selection as one of the six bands to play off in the national final. Judging is done from a pool of 50-60 bands that also includes Rockshop Second Chance, an opening for established bands (playing regular gigs) who don’t feel they played their best on the night. The top two solo/duos from each region go through the same process to be selected as one of the two solo/duos to play off for national honours.

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

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