SMOKEFREEROCKQUEST 2015 – Marlborough finals on Sat June 13
It’s the big night of the year for youth music in Marlborough next Saturday as the top bands and solo/duo performers in
the region play off in the regional final of Smokefreerockquest 2015 at the the Marlborough Convention Centre.
Smokefreerockquest founder and director Glenn Common said Smokefreerockquest offers the entrants on Saturday night a
platform for live performance that builds on what they have learnt at school.
“The support that contemporary musicians get in schools these days is evident in the number of young musicians that get
to performance standard,” he said. “Secondary school teachers offer tuition and encouragement, create space for bands
and soloists to practise, they come along to support them at Smokefreerockquest and help them to get the most value from
the experience of entering SFRQ – before, during and after.”
He said the professional performance environment offered by SFRQ included a stage set up with lights, sound, projection
and technical support in a show that includes a guest band, MC and lots of giveaways.
Because there were no heats held in Marlborough the eight entrants all go through to the regional final, they are:
Traditional State Marlborough Boys' College|
Gina Twidle Marlborough Girls' College
Atom Flight Marlborough Boys' College
Cam Dawson Marlborough Boys' College
Najja Marlborough Boys' College
Carlos Davies Marlborough Boys' College
Kodum Queen Charlotte College
Little City Marlborough Girls' College
The Marlborough final is at the Marlborough Convention Centre on Saturday 13 June, start time 7pm, tickets $10 for
school students and $20 for adults, available from nxTix.co.nz. The guest bands are Marlborough hard rock band Himalaya
and experimental four piece Chrictchurch punk band, The River Jones.
At the regional final the top two bands and the top two solo/duos are selected to go into the national finalists’
judging pool, and other awards and prizes are presented.
Smokefreerockquest, powered by Rockshop, has national winners’ prize packages for bands and the solo/duo winners, that
includes $22,000 in Rockshop vouchers, a $20,000 NZ On Air recording, video and promo package’ a ‘Decent Exposure’
campaign on FOUR, a photo shoot with Thievery Studio, a branding package from Imaginary Friends and the Unleashed Travel
ambassador award – a seven day trip to Fiji. There is also the MAINZ (Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand)
Scholarship for Outstanding Musicianship, the APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) Lyric Award, the Lowdown
Best Song Award and the Smokefree Women’s Musicianship Award. The People’s Choice award is voted by text, with the
opportunity to open the Smokefreerockquest national final.
More info at sfrq.co.nz or facebook.com/thesfrq
Ends