SMOKEFREEROCKQUEST 2015 – Northland final on June 20

SMOKEFREEROCKQUEST 2015 – Northland final on June 20 & Far North final on 21 June

It’s a big weekend for youth music in the north as the top bands and solo/duo performers in play off in the regional finals of Smokefreerockquest 2015. The Northland event is at Forum North in Whangarei on Saturday June 20, followed on Sunday with the Far North event at Turner Centre Auditorium in Kerikeri.

Smokefreerockquest founder and director Glenn Common said Smokefreerockquest offers entrants 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.

There are 12 acts, selected last month at heats, who will compete to join the ranks of Kiwi music success at the Northland regional final.

The top 10 bands to play off are:

Mindless Rodney College

The Hire Society Bream Bay College

Otium Whangarei Boys' High School

The Monkey Assassins Rodney College

Mochaccino Te Kura Hourua O Whangarei Terenga Paraoa

Sail Rock Bream Bay College

Twokay Whangarei Boys' High School

The Kids Bream Bay College

Take 2 Huanui College

Alien Weaponry Bream Bay College, Otamatea High School

And the top two solo/duos to play off for first and second place are:

Mollie (Harvey) Rodney College

Izaiah (Tilialo) Te Kapehu Whetu Charter School

The Northland final is at Forum North on Saturday 20 June, start time 7pm, tickets $10 for school students and $20 for adults from Ticketek or at the door.

Because there were no heats held in the Far North the entrants all go through to the regional final. The contestants are:

Crucifix Kaitaia College
Elsa Meier Springbank School
Adept Kerikeri High School
Te Rina Whangaroa College
4K South Kaitaia College
Fairy-Allen Whangaroa College
Mixed Melodies Kerikeri High School
Mystique Kerikeri High School
Purple Minded Kerikeri High School
Sophryan Kerikeri High School
Prime & Rudolph Whangaroa College
Alyssa Graham Kerikeri High School
Amalgam Kaitaia College
Bella Mason Kerikeri High School
Nicole Gleeson-Stokes Kerikeri High School
CYPRESS Kerikeri High School
Awhinatia Whangaroa College
Back 2 back Kerikeri High School
Arrow Down Kerikeri High School
Guy Yarrall Kerikeri High School
J.K.Y.I.T Kerikeri High School

The Far North final is at Turner Centre Auditorium on Sunday 21 June, start time 7pm, tickets $10 for school students and $15 for adults from the venue.

Guest bands for both these events are still to be confirmed.

At these two regional finals the top two bands are selected to go into the national finalists’ judging pool, other awards and prizes are presented and the top two solo/duos play off for first and second place, with both going on to the judging pool for the national final.

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

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