SMOKEFREEROCKQUEST 2018 – Southland final Friday June 15
SIT Centrestage will be pumping on Friday (June 15) as the top youth bands and solo-duos in Southland play off in the
regional final of Smokefreerockquest 2018 (details below).
Smokefreerockquest founder and director Glenn Common says Smokefreerockquest offers the entrants on Friday 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 and the framework provided by NCEA 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.
SFRQ founder and director Pete Rainey said in regional cities the Smokefreerockquest final is often the year’s biggest
youth gig and ‘a major influencer’.
“We’re really proud that our association with Smokefree has been part of a huge social change in New Zealand over the
past 28 years. It’s absolutely a real thing that the number of young kids smoking has dropped and we’re right behind the
idea of making NZ Smokefree by 2025.”
The Southland final is at the SIT Centrestage on Friday June 15, start time 7pm, tickets $10 for school students and $15
for adults from Ticket Direct or at the door. The guest band is Devine, an electronic duo based in Dunedin, made up of
vocalist Molly Devine and multi-instrumentalist and producer Maddy Parkins-Craig.
Those competing to join the ranks of Kiwi music success at the Southland regional final are:
The Methylene Blues Menzies College
Electric Novelty James Hargest College
Sam Cullen Verdon College
46South Gore High School
Oddball Southland Boys' High School
2Fold Gore High School
Ryan Isaacs Verdon College
4 Chords Menzies College
Gabriel Lal Verdon College
Gemma Bulleid Northern Southland College
Holly Muirhead Verdon College
Below the Stratosphere Southland Girls' High School
Mia & Destiny Verdon College
Emc2 Menzies College
Destiny Schmidt Southland Girls' High School
The Subantarctic James Hargest College
Helen & Kristin Verdon College
Lexxii's Shed Central Southland College
Quinto Southland Girls' High School
Illuminate Central Southland College
Stacey & Tom Verdon College
Yellow Aesthetic St Peter's College
First and second placed bands and solo-duos submit footage to be selected as finalists to play at the Smokefreerockquest
national final on Saturday September 22 at the Dorothy Winstone Centre in Auckland; as do the winners of the Smokefree
Tangata Beats Award, for that event’s national final at the same venue on Friday September 21.
The live events run from May 5 until July 6, and most regions are also being filmed for the hugely popular webisodes
(sfrq.nz/video/) fronted this year by NZ’s ‘First Bloke’ Clarke Gayford.
Smokefreerockquest, powered by Rockshop, has national winners’ prize packages for bands and solo/duo winners that
includes $22,000 in Rockshop vouchers, $16,000 NZ On Air recording, video and promo package, a photo shoot and branding
package from Imaginary Friends. There is also the Musicianship Award, the APRA (Australasian Performing Right
Association) Lyric Award, Best Song Award, Smokefree Vocals Award, Fatboy Style Award, and the ZM People’s Choice.
Musical successes from Smokefreerockquest over its 30-year history include Broods, Leroy Clampitt, Kimbra, Aaradhna,
Opshop, Evermore, Ladyhawke, Kids of 88, Die!Die!Die!, Joel Little, Tiny Ruins, Marlon Williams, Brooke Fraser, Anika
Moa, Chelsea Jade, Nadia Reid, Aldous Harding, Steriogram, Phoenix Foundation, Devilskin, The Black Seeds, Bic Runga,
and The Naked and Famous. Smokefree Tangata Beats standout successes include Alien Weaponry, Strangely Arousing Nesian
Mystik, the only New Zealand band to ever have ten singles all certified gold or platinum.
Ends