Smokefreerockquest – Manawatu heats results

Smokefreerockquest – Manawatu heats results.

Manawatu’s teen musicians conquered their nerves and played their songs at the regional Smokefreerockquest heats, held on Saturday at the Globe Theatre, where the top 12 bands and solo-duos in were selected for the regional final (time and place below).

Over 650 bands and solo/duos are going through regional heats and finals in 24 towns from Invercargill to Kaitaia during May and June. Founder and Director Glenn Common says while Smokefreerockquest is a competition, the environment at the heats is very supportive and the emphasis is on participation.

“Some entrants will no doubt go on to success in the Kiwi music industry, but for most of the young musicians SFRQ is all about the experience of performing live on stage in a professional set up, meeting others who share their passion for performing music, and getting constructive and impartial feedback from more experienced musicians who are our judges and mentors.”

The top 10 bands to play off at the regional final are:

Three Little Birds Palmerston North Girls' High School
Anonymous Club Palmerston North Boys' High School
Pixie Dust Palmerston North Girls' High School
Fusion Manawatu College
Oreo Te Kura-a-iwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano
Naked Bliss Waiopehu College
Second Chance Waiopehu College
Constant Decay Feilding High School
Moral of a King Freyberg High School
Akeley Tararua College

And the top two solo/duos are:

Libby Offord Freyberg High School
Peyton Morete Te Horo School

The Manawatu final is at the Globe Theatre next Friday, 19 June, start time 7pm, tickets $10 for school students and $20 for adults from the venue. The guest bands are last year’s national finalists The Soda Boyz from Wanganui and the 2014 Smokefreerockquest national winners, Head Chef from Wellington.

At the regional final 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.

In July, when all regional heats and finals are complete, the top regional bands and solo/duos submit video footage for selection as national finalists to play off at the Raye Freedman Centre in Auckland on Friday 11 September.

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 information at sfrq.co.nz or facebook.com/thesfrq.

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