WHS teams dominate at upcoming Whanganui Smokefreerockquest
Whanganui High School bands dominate the upcoming SMOKEFREEROCKQUEST 2018 regional finals on Saturday, June 9 at the Opera House with 13 of the 19 bands. The other bands come from Rangitikei, Ruapehu College and Taumarunui High School.
Smokefreerockquest founder and director, Glenn Common, says Smokefreerockquest offers the entrants on Friday night a platform for live performance that builds on what they have learnt at school.
He said the professional performance environment offered by SFRQ included a stage set up with lights, sound, projection and technical support in a show that includes a guest band, MC and lots of giveaways.
Another SFRQ founder and director, Pete Rainey, said in regional cities the Smokefreerockquest final is often the year’s biggest youth gig and ‘a major influencer’.
“We’re really proud that our association with Smokefree has been part of a huge social change in New Zealand over the past 28 years. It’s absolutely a real thing that the number of young kids smoking has dropped and we’re right behind the idea of making NZ Smokefree by 2025.”
The Whanganui High School bands are- 3 dollar man, 3 White Guys and Caleb, Fuschia, Bandboozled, Ciper, Ferns, In Business, Pakalagisasa's, Pantheon, Spicy, The Remnant, The Zodiacs and Wangaz State Of Mind.
The music starts at 7pm. Tickets are $10 for school students and $15 for adults from the venue or at the door. The guest band is Palmerston North SFRQ veterans, Soda Boyz, a noise punk trio, with a self-confessed 'DIY kind of sound'.
Whanganui’s top two solo/duos and top two bands will be selected to submit footage for selection to play at the Smokefreerockquest national final on Saturday, September 22 at Auckland Girls’ Grammar. The live events run from May 5 until July 6, and most regions will also be filmed for the hugely popular webisodes (sfrq.nz/video/) fronted this year by NZ’s ‘First Bloke’ Clarke Gayford.
Smokefreerockquest, powered by Rockshop, has national winners’ prize packages for bands and solo/duo winners that includes $22,000 in Rockshop vouchers, $16,000 NZ On Air recording, video and promo package, a photo shoot and branding package from Imaginary Friends. There is also the Musicianship Award, the APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) Lyric Award, Best Song Award, Smokefree Vocals Award, Fatboy Style Award and the ZM People’s Choice.
River City Press 7/6/18