Garin College Takes The Day at Smokefreerockquest

Garin College Takes The Day at Smokefreerockquest

Garin College led the field at the Smokefreerockquest regional final at Nelson’sTheatre Royal on Friday night, with winners of both sections of the teen music event coming from the same school that produced 2011 national winner The Peasants. Four piece indie-pop-funk group Oh Blok won the band section at the sold out event, and Livvy and Anna won the new category for solo/duos.

Oh Blok spokesman, keyboard player Paddy Sanders, said it was the year 10 and 12 students’ third attempt at Smokefreerockquest. He and guitarist Louie Persico, vocalist Kieran O'Connor and drummer Josh Barker have been playing together for three years and spend their free time ‘hanging out’ together.

Paddy puts their success down to their love of music: “We just love the music we play and the crowd makes us pumped up,” he said. “We’d love to make our careers out of music and this is a great start - but we know it will be hard.”

Solo/duo winners Livvy Nott and Anna Robinson started playing together only three weeks ago when their music teacher suggested entering Smokefreerockquest would be good experience for them. However, they’re both from musicl families, with Livvy’s older sister Georgia fronting The Peasants before opting last year to go solo.

Livvy says their stand-out factor was their harmonies and vocals: “Music is our first love and we’d really like to make it our career,” she said. “Forming a duo worked well for us – we collaborate on the songs and relate well together.”

Oh Blok also won the Nelson and Tasman Youth Councils’ award for audience participation and the Lowdown Best Song Award for ‘State of Mind’; and Anna Robinson also won the APRA Lyric Writer’s Award for her song ‘Intertwined’.

Second place in the band category went to pop-punk three piece Paper City made up of vocalist and guitarist Alex Hargreaves from Nayland College, bass player Dara Copeland from Garin College and drummer Niko White from Nelson College.

Second place in the solo/duo category went to Laura-Mae Parker from Nelson Girls College.

These four acts win musical gear from associate sponsors NZ Rockshops, and the opportunity to gain selection for the national final in Auckland on Saturday September 28.

SFRQ founder and director Glenn Common said from here on the Nelson finalists would have to work hard and draw on their creativity to make the most of the opportunity Smokefreerockquest offered.

“They now send in videos of their original music that will be judged in August as we lead up to the national final,” he said. “This process demands creativity and musical ability, as well as learning to work together as a group and developing the organisation skills they’ll need if they're going to make it on the Kiwi music scene.”

Other awards made on Friday night were:

Third placed band, winning musical gear from associate sponsor NZ Rockshops and their suppliers: Third Wheel, Nelson College for Girls, Nayland College and Nelson College.

The Mainz Musicianship Award with the opportunity to be selected for the $4500 Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand Scholarship, announced at the national final: Robbie Day from Nelson College, the drummer from Third Wheel.

Smokefree Award For Women’s Musicianship: Baya Vant’Slot, Nelson College for Girls, the bassist from Third Wheel.

Skinny Mobile People’s Choice voted by text: Sustain, from Garin College.

Smokefreerockquest, powered by Rockshop, has national winners’ prize packages for bands and the solo/duo winners, that include musical gear to a total value of $13,000 from NZ Rockshops and their suppliers, inclusion on the NZ On Air Kiwi Hit Disc, radio promotional support, 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 the SFRQ National final.

Finalist judging process: Two bands from each of 23 regional finals send in their videos for selection as one of the eight bands to play off in the national final. Judging is done from a pool of 50-60 bands that also includes Rockshop Second Chance, an opening for established bands (playing regular gigs) who don’t feel they played their best on the night. The top two solo/duos from each region go through the same process.

More info at sfrq.co.nz or facebook.com/thesfrq

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