Smokefreerockquest 2012 Top 20 announced
They’ve played off from Whanagrei’s Forum North to Invercargill’s Civic Theatre and now the top 20 teen bands in the
country have been selected in the lead up to the finals of Smokefreerockquest 2012.
Founder and Director Glenn Common says from almost 700 entrants this year, more bands and soloists reached the standard
looked for in finalists than ever before.
“There are more bands reaching that higher level – they are presenting themselves more professionally and they have more
than just the two songs that they need to compete at the regionals,” he said. “They are really getting to grips with
song writing and producing original music of a standard that has the potential to take them into the music industry.”
Glenn notes that duos were more to the fore this year, possibly because this format lends itself to Facebook and Youtube
success. And he says the subject matter for songs ranged from the personal and romantic through to the issues driven and
politically aware.
The Top 20 Bands are listed with their school and their regional final placing (note Auckland Central and Canterbury had
2 regional finals); or that they were selected via Rockshop Second Chance, an opportunity for established (regularly
gigging) bands who felt they didn’t do their best on the night and can send in a video for judging.
• Luke And Amberly, Kamo High School, 1st Northland regional final
• Scamp And Yeah, Rangitoto College, North Shore, Rockshop 2nd Chance
• The Great Moon Hoax, Rangitoto College, 1st North Shore regional final
• Young And Reckless, Sacred Heart College, 1st Auckland Central regional final (1)
• The Teleprompters, St. Peter’s College, 1st Auckland Central regional final (2)
• Vivid, Diocesan School For Girls, 2nd Auckland Central regional final
• Indi, ACG Senior College, Auckland Central, Rockshop 2nd Chance
• Intone, Glendowie College, Auckland Central, Rockshop 2nd Chance
• Eden, Western Springs College, Auckland Central, Rockshop 2nd Chance
• Sunday Best, St. Peter’s School, 1st Waikato regional final
• Noriac, Francis Douglas Memorial College, 1st Taranaki regional final
• Aftershock, Western Heights High School & John Paul 2 College, Rotorua, Rockshop 2nd Chance
• A Bit Nigel, Taupo-Nui-A-Tia College, 1st Rotorua regional final
• Culture Kids, Wanganui High School & Wanganui City College, Rockshop 2nd Chance
• Back To The Remedy, Wairarapa College, 1st Wairarapa regional final
• Front Back And Sides, Wairarapa College, 2nd Wairarapa regional final
• New Vinyl, Nelson College, 1st regional final
• Mirum, Christchurch Boys’ High School, Christchurch Adventist School, Cashmere High School, 1st Canterbury
regional final
• Half Mountain, Unimited Paenga Tawhiti & Hagley Community College, 1st Canterbury regional final (2)
• The Fletcherz, Wakatipu High School, 2nd Central Otago regional final
These bands will now be judged on their submitted DVDs by representatives from SFRQ, NZ on Air and representatives from
the music industry, with the top eight national finalists announced next week (August 22).
The top eight will play off in this year’s Smokefreerockquest national final at Founders Theatre in Hamilton on 22
September; along with guests Zowie, The Jury and the Saints and the 2009 Hamilton winners, Banglade$h (formally known as
The Good Fun). Tickets are $10, doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start.
There’s a helping hand for those who can’t afford the trip to Hamilton or the $10 dollar ticket, with a contest being
run at Facebook.com/thesrfq. Entrants vote for their favourtie ex-Smokefreerockquest competitor from names such as
Kimbra, Brooke Fraser and Opshop to win flights, accommodation and VIP tickets.
Smokefreerockquest powered by Rockshop, has a prize package that includes musical gear to the value of $10,000 from NZ
Rockshops and their suppliers, a NZ On Air new recording and music video grant worth over $10,000, a place on the NZ On
Air Kiwi Hit Disc, a 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, voted by text, that will give one band the opportunity to
open at the SFRQ National final.
To find out more about Smokefreerockquest 2012, visit the official website www.sfrq.co.nz.
Smokefreerockquest – 24 years of musical success
Smokefreerockquest is New Zealand’s only nationwide, live, original music, youth event. Now well into its third decade,
the series of over 40 events reaches audiences from Whangarei to Invercargill. Founded in 1988 by music teachers Glenn
Common and Pete Rainey, who now run Rockquest Promotions full time out of Nelson, Smokefreerockquest has become a New
Zealand institution.
Smokefreerockquest 2012 powered by Rockshop aims to motivate young musicians to prove their ability and realise the
heights they can reach in their music careers, and to encourage their peers to support 100% original New Zealand music.
For more information visit www.sfrq.co.nz
Hall of Fame
Musical successes from Smokefreerockquest over its 24-year history include Kimbra, Midnight Youth, Opshop, Evermore,
Ladyhawke, Minuit, Kids of 88, Die!Die!Die!, Pistol Youth, Annah Mac, Bang!Bang!Eche!, Ivy Lies, Cairo Knife Fight, Cut
Off Your Hands, Luke Thompson, the Datsuns, Brooke Fraser, Anika Moa, Anna Coddington, The Electric Confectionaires,
Steriogram, Aaradhna, Spacifix, Phoenix Foundation, The Feelers, The Black Seeds, Nesian Mystik, Bic Runga, The Checks,
Julia Deans, Pine, King Kapisi, Kingston, The Naked and Famous, Autozamm and Elemeno P.
Smokefree’s Smoking Not Our Future Campaign
Research from HSC shows that 94 percent of all young people have seen the Smoking Not OurFuture initiative and that
Smokefreerockquest plays a large part in getting its key messages and its celebrities in front of young people.
Smokefree has been the naming rights sponsor of Smokefreerockquest for 22 of its 24 years and this longstanding
partnership between the two agencies has been mutually beneficial. Smokefree is able to deliver its messages to large
numbers of secondary school students attending the regional events. While participants in the event areprovided with
connections to their schools and communities and develop skills and aspirations, which will help create the future
musical stars of New Zealand. For more information visit www.notourfuture.co.nz
ENDS