Canterbury Smokefreerockquest 2011

Media Release

Canterbury Smokefreerockquest 2011

Canterbury’s top teen music talent will take the stage in Hornby High School on Saturday 6 August and Sunday 7 August for Smokefreerockquest.

This year in the nationwide, live, original youth music competition all entrants get the real life experience of rock stardom - performing on the big stage of a major venue, which in Christchurch was to have been the Isaac Theatre Royal.

Co-founder and director Glenn Common says he’s hearing of bands who have worked against the odds to get their entry in, and of bands who have used school down time to practise their music.

“There are some band names such as Night Shift and Gravity Falls that look to be earthquake inspired and we expect this to come through in the songs as well,” he says. “It’s Smokefreerockquest doing what it does best – letting teenagers get up in public and express in their own language, their innermost thoughts about life. All we do is support them with equipment and expertise and give them a setting that attracts an audience, then it’s over to them to make the music and sing the songs.”

Christchurch bands were given an extended deadline, and the performance of the top eight bands will be videoed each night for national final selection, as there is not enough time for them to make their own videos and send them in for judging. The top six bands to play off at the national final in Hamilton in September will be announced on August 8. This year’s Canterbury this year’s entrants are:

SATURDAY 6 AUGUST
Caution Creek Kaiapoi High School
Phlat 9 Volt Hagley Community College
Katherine Abbott Oxford Area School
Dugtrio Shirley Boys' High School (TBC)
MindTrap Lincoln High School
NightShift Middleton Grange School
ComePlayMonday Home Ed, Villa Maria Coll, Middleton Grange, Burnside HS (TBC)
Greer Herbison St Andrew's College (Christchurch)
Mirum Christchurch Boys' HS, Cashmere HS
The Jewel Thieves Lincoln High School
Below Average Rangiora High (TBC)
5 minus 1/2 Hurunui College
Alf Stewart Appreciation Band Burnside HS, Cashmere HS, Riccarton HS (TBC)
The Varlets Shirley Boys' High School
KeepItOnTheDL Lincoln High School (TBC)
Bughum Rudolf Steiner School
ManHorse Burnside HS, Hagley Community Coll (TBC)
Harry Platt Shirley Boys' High School
Winter's End Burnside High School
Communist Tea Party Rangiora High School (TBC)
Century City Cashmere High School
Plain Jane Lincoln High School
La Volpe Lincoln High School

SUNDAY 7 AUGUST
The Battle Of The Mystics Christchurch Girls' High School, Christchurch Boys' HS (TBC)
Claudia Jardine Cashmere High School
Vagrant Evening of the Stray Nude Ellesmere College
Pure Innocence Lincoln High School
Fierce September Oxford Area School
TSOR Thorrington School
Tess Stephen Rangiora High School
Daze Of Rock Shirley intermediate (TBC)
Autumn Falls Hillmorton High School
Lost on top Ellesmere College (TBC)
Ben Hubball Hagley Community College (TBC)
Die Roboter Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti (TBC)
The Haze Christchurch Boys' High School
Jackson Bray Papanui High School
Sam&Alex Riccarton High School
Villain Shirley Boys' High School
Live Wire Darfield High School
Sear Me Your Name Riccarton High School (TBC)
43 South Burnside High School
Red Rackham Oxford Area School
One Last Day Christchurch Rudolf Steiner School (TBC)
Tamila Lincoln High School
Bikini & Marlon Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti
Signs Of Gravity St Andrew's College
Mim Lincoln High School (TBC)
Organectomy Hagley Community College (TBC)
Beach Arab St Andrew's College (TBC)
Cold Evolution Chisnalwood Intermediate
Hypo Chisnalwood Intermediate
Rock Harmony Chisnalwood Intermediate
Shrapnel Chisnalwood Intermediate

They will play off at Hornby High School from 1.30pm each afternoon, with the top eight bands called back for a final that evening beginning at 8pm. In Christchurch each event will include the Smokefreerockquest Circus, an expo-style addition to the main stage with workshops, hands-on displays and give-aways. All girl band and past Smokefreerockquest winners Ivy Lies will be guests at the event. Tickets $20 at The Rockshop in Hornby or at the door, are valid for both the afternoon and evening.

The two top Canterbury bands from each day go into the final selection process to play at the national final, to be held this year in the new 5000-seat Claudelands Arena in Hamilton on 17 September. The prize package is designed as a big helping hand into the music industry. It includes a NZ On Air new recording and music video grant worth $10,000, a place on the NZ On Air Kiwi Hit Disc, musical gear to the value of $10,000 from NZ Rockshops, recording time at York St Studio, 1000 CDs of the winner’s single produced by Forge Media, and radio and TV play and promotion of the single. There is also the MAINZ Scholarship for outstanding musicianship, the APRA Lyric Award, the Lowdown Best Song Award and the Smokefree Women’s Musicianship Award.

ENDS

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