Media Release: Canterbury Rockshop Bandquest 2014
They’re tuning up and practicing their songs in towns from North Shore to Stewart Island, as over 160 young school bands
line up for this year’s Rockshop Bandquest, the nationwide music contest for intermediate and primary students.
Bandquest is in its fourth year as the younger sibling of Smokefreerockquest, and for kids of intermediate age there are
plenty of role models to follow including international success story Broods and the Christchurch trip-hop duo Doprah.
Founder and director Glenn Common says the level of talent at intermediate schools has caught the attention of the music
industry.
“Rockshop Bandquest is a vehicle to spotlight this talent - it certainly provides a platform for young bands to shine in
a stage setting with professional sound mix and lighting,” he said. “But really what we’re about is giving the kids an
experience that extends them, that puts them under the pressure that comes with live performance and the exhilaration
that is its reward.”
The Canterbury event is at the Aurora Centre, Burnside High School on Friday 29 August at 7.30pm and Saturday 30 August
at 7pm. Tickets are $10 at the door or from Ticketek.
The bands entered for Rockshop Bandquest in Canterbury are:
Friday
The Outside: South New Brighton School
The People: Bluestone School
Distracted: Bluestone School
The Dopple Gangerz: Heaton Normal Intermediate
Ace of Spades: Casebrook Intermediate
Freshest: Rowley Avenue School
Killer Blue: Chisnallwood Intermediate
Sonic Pulse: Chisnallwood Intermediate
Unidentified: Chisnallwood Intermediate
Multi Ringtone Phone: Chisnallwood Intermediate
On The Road: Bluestone School
Luminous Sounds: Chisnallwood Intermediate
Bands performing on Friday who have yet to confirm their names include one each from Queenspark School, Waitakiri School
and Opawa School.
Saturday
The Muppets: West Eyreton School
The Menace: St Martin’s School
Ton of Heat: Heaton Normal Intermediate
Inner Beat: St Margaret’s College
Electric Rhythm: Templeton Primary
P Town Rockers: Prebbleton Primary
Outcastz: Rolleston Primary
Groovy Scooters: Loburn Primary
Future Shock: Opihi College
The Project: Sumner School
Bloody Somethings: Clarkville School
Rockaholics: Heaton Normal Intermediate
Bands scheduled for Saturday who have yet to confirm their names include two from Kaiapoi North School and one each from
Loburn Primary, Oxford Area School, West Eyreton School and Waimairi School.
Rockshop Bandquest is for bands of two or more members, from intermediate or primary schools, who will play a short set
of covers or original songs. There is an award for the best original song to encourage bands to write their own
material, but the focus is on performance skills.
Rockshop donates prize vouchers to the winners’ schools, and spokesman, Hamish Jackson, says Bandquest is a great event
for the nationwide chain to support.
“At a time where many countries are seeing a drop in kids learning instruments Bandquest is bucking the international
trends,” he says. “The more we can get kids playing music through events like Bandquest, the better it is for the
artistic health of New Zealand music.”
This year Rockshop Bandquest will be held in Dunedin, Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington, Tauranga, Napier, Hamilton and
Auckland, with online entries for bands in outlying areas.
There will be mentoring sessions from successful Smokefreerockquest bands in the afternoon of the regional events and an
online national final announcement on Wednesday 24 September, via bandquest.co.nz.
Rockshop Bandquest events to come 2014
Thur 28 Aug North Shore AGGS Dorothy Winstone Centre
Fri 29 Aug AK Central AGGS Dorothy Winstone Centre
Fri 29 Aug Canterbury 1 Aurora Centre
Sat 30 Aug Canterbury 2 Aurora Centre
Sat 30 Aug Manukau AGGS Dorothy Winstone Centre
Wed 3 sept Otago King's & Queen's PAC
Wed 3 Sept Wellington & Hutt Little Theatre
Thur 4 Sept Hawkes Bay Municipal Theatre
ENDS