Smokefreerockquest 2013 – Wairarapa
The Masterton Town Hall will be pumping on Saturday 22 June as the top youth bands in Wairarapa 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
Saturday 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 Wairarapa regional final are:
Front Back and Sides Wairarapa College
Honour Among The Thieves Kuranui College
Familliah Dannevirke High School
Cast a Shadow Wairarapa College
Laura Jean St Matthew's Collegiate
Underground Bass and The Sweet Operator Chanel College
Broken Guitars Wairarapa College
Not If We Can Help It Kuranui College
Turtle Rathkeale College
Prevent The Tragedy Wairarapa College
Doobie Dub Rathkeale College
The Weathered Owls Kuranui College
Worship The Fallen Dannevirke High School
Autumn Summit Chanel College
Back to the Remedy Wairarapa College
The Wairarapa final is at the Masterton Town Hall on Saturday 22 June, start time 7pm, tickets $20 from Ticketek or at
the door.
At the Wairarapa final, first and second place for the solo/duos will be announced, along with awards for 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 eight 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
Ends