Smokefreerockquest 2012 comes to Canterbury

The future of Kiwi music is tuning up in the wings, ready to emerge in Canterbury  at the regional Smokefreerockquest heats on June 2 & 3.

New Zealand’s only nationwide, live, original music competition was launched at the beginning of May, and is now in full swing with the 45 regional heats and finals that lead towards the national final at Claudelands Arena in Hamilton on 22 September.

The Canterbury heats are on 2 and 3 June, at the Jack Mann Auditorium, starting at 2pm on Saturday and 1pm on Sunday, tickets $10 at the door. The bands to play off are:

SATURDAY:    
Aftershock             St Margaret's College      Cobham School   Burnside HS
No Exit                Middleton Grange School
Mercy Hospital        Cashmere High School    Hagley Community College
Poco und Nous        Burnside High School
Ego Valve            Lincoln High School    Burnside HS    Shirley Boys’ HS
Claudia Jardine        Cashmere High School    
Retrieve Arms            Rangi Ruru Girls' School    Christchurch Girls’ HS
Liam Kelly            Cashmere High School
Aurora                Shirley Boys' High School
Not sure yet             Rangi Ruru Girls' School
Leviathan            Shirley Boys' High School
Mirum                Christchurch Boys' HS  Chch Adventist School  Cashmere HS
Bloodmoon            Hagley Community College
The Lost Moccasins        St Andrew's College (Christchurch)
The General Dynamic        Cashmere High School
Cyanide            Hagley Community College
The Safety Pins        Rangi Ruru Girls' School
Sara - Anna            Hurunui College
E equals M dot C dot Rock    Mairehau High School
Nebulas            Rangiora High School
The Fading            Hurunui College

SUNDAY:
Ground To Air            Kaiapoi High School
Unknown            Chisnallwood Intermediate
Thorrington School of Rock    Thorrington School
Pure Innocence        Lincoln High School
The Trick            Burnside High School
Social Alibi            Chisnallwood Intermediate
Runaway Betty        Lincoln High School
David Rea            Rangiora High School
Shalamar            Cashmere High School
Dash                Burnside High School
Collision            Rudolf Steiner School
Three’s a Crowd        Lincoln High School
Pania Hart            Rangiora High School
Infinity                Chisnallwood Intermediate
Half Mountain            Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti    Hagley Community College
Alex Hardy            Lincoln High School
Rachel Hamilton        Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti
BrainDead            Rangiora High School
Sam Foote            Riccarton High School
By The Way            St Thomas of Canterbury College    Rangiora High School
Blind Eyed            Papanui High School
The Haze            St Andrew's College   Christchurch Boys’ High School
Enter Gravity            Burnside High School
50/50                Chisnallwood Intermediate
Meh                Marian College    St. Bede’s College

This year organisers expect close to 800 bands to enter – adding up to a total of around 3,000 aspiring musicians. The link between Smokefreerockquest and New Zealand music is well established at all levels, according to founder and director Pete Rainey.

“We’re into our 24th year and it’s the enduring nature of the event that makes its role in Kiwi music so significant – for some people it’s a springboard to huge success, while for others Smokefreerockquest is a tool in their roles as music’s unsung heroes,” he says. “I’m talking about the likes of Kimbra acknowledging us as part of her success story, right through to the music teachers who use this event as a prime motivator for at-risk students.”  

Rainey says young people will always want to play their music to their peers, which is the key to Smokefreerockquest’s longevity.

“Kids’ biggest role models are their musical heroes - they emulate them by mastering musical instruments and performing to their peers,” he says. “They also want to explore their emotions and concerns in songs. Smokefreerockquest gives them a framework to do all this and provides support, education, motivation and rewards.”

The Canterbury heats are at the Jack Mann Auditorium on Saturday and Sunday, 2 & 3 June, starting at 2pm on Saturday and 1pm on Sunday, tickets $10 at the door. The top 12 bands will go on to the Canterbury regional final at the Jack Mann Auditorium on Saturday and Sunday, 16 & 17 June, start time 7pm, tickets $20 from Ticket Direct or at the door.

The regional events run every weekend until 21 July, then the top regional bands submit videos from which the national finalists are selected.  At stake is a prize package that includes a NZ On Air new recording and music video grant worth over $10,000, a place on the NZ On Air Kiwi Hit Disc, musical gear to the value of $10,000 from NZ Rockshops, radio promotional support for a single, and video play on youth music channel FOUR. There is also the MAINZ Scholarship for outstanding musicianship, the APRA Lyric Award, the Lowdown Best Song Award, the Smokefree Women’s Musicianship Award and the Skinny People’s Choice voted by text with the opportunity to open at the SFRQ final.

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