Media Release: Rockshop Bandquest 2014 results
They may be young but they know how to rock – this year’s Canterbury contestants took the stage over the weekend in this
year’s regional final of Rockshop Bandquest, the nationwide music contest for intermediate and primary students.
Bandquest is in its fourth year as the younger sibling of Smokefreerockquest, and in the Canterbury region attracted
over 30 keen entrants who competed at the Aurora Centre, Burnside High School on Friday and Saturday nights.
Event organizer Matt Ealand says the performances from this age group mix sophistication with a lack of
self-consciousness.
“They’ve been watching TV and YouTube, they’re aware of what established musicians are doing and they want to emulate
them,” he said. “But they are not worried about being mocked – they just get up there and give it heaps.”
Rockshop Bandquest is for bands of two or more members, from intermediate or primary schools, who play a short set of
covers or original songs, with a focus on performance skills.
The awards list has Friday results first, followed by Saturday award winners.
First place winning $400 credit with The Rockshop for their school: Unidentified, Chisnallwood Intermediate; P Town
Rockers, Prebbleton Primary
Second place winning $200 credit with The Rockshop for their school: The Muppets, West Eyreton School; Rockaholics,
Heaton Normal Intermediate
Third place winning $100 credit with The Rockshop for their school: Orb, Opawa School; The Project, Sumner School
Best original song winning $100 cash for their school: The People, Bluestone School; Rockaholics, Heaton Normal
Intermediate
Best original lyrics winning $50 cash for their school: Multi Ringtone Phone, Chisnallwood Intermediate; Inner Beat, St
Margaret’s College
Female vocalist award: Neve O’Connor, The People, Bluestone School; Natalie Hutton and Caroline Wells, Inner Beat, St
Margaret’s College
Male vocalist award: Joe Cameron, Ace of Spades, Casebrook Intermediate; Lachlan James, Untitled, West Eyreton School
Musicianship award: Keira Jonkers, Multi Ringtone Phone, Chisnallwood Intermediate; Sam Davison, The Menace, St Martin’s
School
Rockstar Styles award: Jak Howman, Orb, Opawa School; Ella Cox, Grace Gallete and Maise Lauder, The Menace, St Martin’s
School
‘Killer’ guitarist award: Joshua Unwin, The Muppets, West Eyreton School; Tiaki Burgman, Insert Here, Kaiapoi North
School.
Rock-solid bassist award: Mitchell brown, The Muppets, West Eyreton School; Sophie Pye, Future Shock, Opihi College.
Rocking drummer award: Joel Coleman, Unidentifed, Chisnallwood Intermediate; Jack Kelly, Bloddy Somethings, Clarkville
School.
Best keyboardist award: Altaea Torres, Ace of Spades, Casebrook Intermediate; The Centurions, Waimari School.
Rockshop spokesman, Hamish Jackson, says for many of the kids Rockshop Bandquest is the biggest musical moment of their
lives.
“It’s great for us to be part of that, “ he says. “Bandquest provides a unique opportunity to intermediate kids, it’s
all about participation and giving it a go. The kids definitely throw themselves into it and the results have been
amazing.”
This year over 160 bands have entered Rockshop Bandquest, competing in Dunedin, Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington,
Tauranga, Napier, Hamilton and Auckland, with mentoring sessions from successful Smokefreerockquest bands in the
afternoon of each regional event, and on-line entries for bands in outlying areas. There will be an online national
final announcement on Wednesday 24 September, via bandquest.co.nz.
Ends