Top 30 Announced

2013 Smokefreerockquest - 25 Years of Kiwi Music Success – Top 30 Announced

They’ve performed in theatres and event centres from Whangarei to Invercargill and now the top 30 acts in Smokefreerockquest 2013 have been selected.

There were 654 entries in this year’s only nationwide, orginal youth music event, with contenders going forward from 23 regional finals to send in their DVDs for selection to play off at the national final in Auckland on September 28.

SFRQ founder and director Pete Rainey said judging the DVDs was, as always, a difficult task, with entrants striving to make their work stand out.

“There is a lot of creativity and effort that goes into making these DVDs of original music,” he says. “It just highlights that there’s a lot more to Smokefreerockquest than singing someone else’s song on a reality TV talent show.”

Smokefreerockquest’s 25th year saw the introduction of a separate category for solo-duo performers; and the top 30 list is made up of 20 bands and 10 solo-duos. The bands are:
The Moots, Auckland,Western Springs College, Westlake Boys' High School & St Kentigern College
The Great Moon Hoax, North Shore, Rangitoto College
Ludo, North Shore, Rangitoto College
Vivid, Auckland, Diocesan School For Girls
SundayBest, Waikato,St Peter's School (Cambridge)
The Beautiful Shambles, Waikato, Hillcrest High School
All of a Kind, Waikato, Putaruru College
The Incline, Bay of Plenty, Tauranga Boys' College, Tauranga Girls' College &Mt Maunganui College
Colour Sway Hawkes Bay St John's College (Hastings)
ABN (A Bit Nigel), Rotorua, Taupo-nui-a-Tia College & Rotorua Boys' High School
Aftershock, Rotorua, Western Heights High School & John Paul College
The Jefferys, Manawatu, Freyberg High School
Back to the Remedy, Wairarapa, Wairarapa College
Front Back and Sides, Wairarapa, Wairarapa College
Harbour Lane, Wellington, Hutt Valley High School
Third Wheel, Nelson, Nelson College For Girls & Nelson College
Paper City, Nelson, Nayland College, Garin College & Nelson College
Arm the Reckless, Marlborough, Marlborough Boys' College
AashaWillandCullen, Christchurch, Shirley Boys' High School
Puzzle Puppets, Otago, Otago Boys' High School

And the solo/duos are:
Thomston (Thomas Stoneman), Auckland, Avondale College
Talika (duo), Auckland, St Mary's College (Ponsonby)
Khona Va'aga-Gray, Manukau, McAuley High School
Andre Smith, Manukau, Glendowie College
Ruby Walsh, Waikato, Hauraki Plains College
Harry Parsons, Waikato, Cambridge High School
Title (duo), Rotorua, Rotorua Girls' High School
Livvy and Anna, Nelson, Garin College
Two Odd Friends, Christchurch, Hagley Community College
Zizi ( Lily Jackson), Southland, Central Southland College

These 30 bands and solo-duos will be further narrowed down by a panel of judges from the music industry, and the final six bands and two solo-duos to play off in Auckland next month will be announced on August 12.

The national final of Smokefreerockquest is at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre, at 7pm on Saturday September 28. Tickets $20 from iTICKET, on sale from August 12. Guest acts to be announced. The event will be opened by the overall winner of the Skinny Mobile People’s Choice, with the voting taking place on facebook after the national finalists are announced.

Smokefreerockquest, powered by Rockshop, has national winners’ prize packages for bands and 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. At the national final awards will be presented for the MAINZ Scholarship for outstanding musicianship, the APRA Lyric Award, the Lowdown Best Song Award, the Smokefreerockquest Video Competition and the Smokefree Women’s Musicianship Award.

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

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