Southland Region Final Back on

2013 SMOKEFREEROCKQUEST - 25 YEARS OF KIWI MUSIC SUCCESS

Southland Region Final Back on

It’s a case of ‘show must go on’ for the Southland finals of the nationwide youth music event Smokefreerockquest, after the event was cancelled in the storm that battered the country on June 14 -15.

While the weather in Invercargill had cleared on the Friday, the SFRQ crew could not get south from their base in Nelson to run the regional final at the Civic Theatre, after being snowed-in in Christchurch.

It was only the second time in the event’s 25 year history that a gig had been called off – the first was in the Otago snow of 2007 – and SFRQ offered all eleven Southland bands the chance to send in videos of their music to be considered for the national final in Auckland on September 28.

But SFRQ founder and driector Glenn Common says when you’ve got your songs ready to sing and your musicianship perfected – you just want to get up on stage and play.

“We’ve had a strong and generous reaction from Southland and we have been able to reschedule the event for August 3. We are grateful for the support of James Hargest College Principal Andy Wood, who has made the James Hargest hall available as the venue, and we’ve had contribution from the Community Trust of Southland towards equipment hire costs.”

The following performers will play off on August 3, start time 7pm. Tickets will be $10 and will be available as door sales only.

Prospero James Hargest College
Khellsey-Anna Southland Girls' High School
Men In trees James Hargest College
Lily Jackson Central Southland College
Magnitude 10 James Hargest College
Sky Central Southland College
The Peter Snell Experience James Hargest College
Sweet antics Southland Girls' High School
Theatre Of Pain St Peter's College (Gore)
Scrambled James Hargest College

The date early next term was the earliest that could be arranged, but it will be too late for the national finalist judging process; so the offer to get their videos in now for finalist selection still stands for the Southland bands.

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 Mobile People’s Choice voted by text with the opportunity to open the SFRQ National final.

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

Ends

Smokefreerockquest – 25 years of music success
Smokefreerockquest is New Zealand’s only nationwide, live, original music, youth event. Celebrating it’s silver anniversary this year, the series of over 40 events reaches audiences from Whangarei to Invercargill. Founded in 1989 by music teachers Glenn Common and Pete Rainey, who now run Rockquest Promotions full time out of Nelson, Smokefreerockquest has become a New Zealand institution.

Smokefreerockquest 2013, powered by Rockshop aims to motivate young musicians to prove their ability and realise the heights they can reach in their music careers, and to encourage their peers to support 100 percent original New Zealand music. For more information visit www.sfrq.co.nz

Hall of Fame

Musical successes from Smokefreerockquest over its 25-year history include Kimbra, Midnight Youth, Opshop, Evermore, Ladyhawke, Minuit, Kids of 88, Die!Die!Die!, Pistol Youth, Annah Mac, Bang!Bang!Eche!, Ivy Lies, Cairo Knife Fight, Cut Off Your Hands, Luke Thompson, the Datsuns, Brooke Fraser, Anika Moa, Kora, Anna Coddington, The Electric Confectionaires, Steriogram, Aaradhna, Spacifix, Phoenix Foundation, The Feelers, The Black Seeds, Nesian Mystik, Bic Runga, The Checks, Julia Deans, Pine, King Kapisi, Kingston, The Naked and Famous, Autozamm and Elemeno P.

Smokefree’s - Smoking Not Our Future Campaign

Smokefreerockquest plays a large part in helping Smoking Not Our Future get its key messages in front of a large audience of young people. Smokefree has been the naming rights sponsor of Smokefreerockquest for 23 of its 25 years and this longstanding partnership has been mutually beneficial. This year young people will be asked to join The Movement, which is a way for them to get more involved in helping New Zealand become smokefree by 2025. SFRQ events help students make protective connections to their schools, other students and communities and they also develop new skills and aspirations for their futures. For more information visit Facebook.com/notourfuture.

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