Smokefreerockquest & Smokefree Tangata Beats

Smokefreerockquest & Smokefree Tangata Beats - national finals preview

Close to 800 bands and solo-duos have played off in 22 towns and cities around New Zealand with the creme of the talent set to take the stage in Auckland on Saturday September 22 in this year’s national final of Smokefreerockquest.

It’s the 30th year for the veteran talent-finder of New Zealand music, with success stories ranging from OpShop to Broods, and most recently the Te Reo metal band Alien Weaponry.

Chris Mac, best known as the bass player of Six60, has been heavily involved in the programme for the past four years. Speaking about this year's national finalists he says it is anyone's game: “Every single act has a genuinely interesting quality, which is exciting. None of them are cookie cutter."

It’s a huge weeked for New Zealand youth music, with the Smokefree Tangata Beats finalists also to play off, on Friday September 21; both finals are at the Dorothy Winstone Centre at Auckland Girls Grammar. Start time for both is 7pm, tickets from Eventfinda or at the door. At stake is a combined prize package worth over….

The top six Smokefreerockquest bands to play off are:
Silvera, Lynfield College, Auckland
Bad Dog, Avondale College, Auckland
Mit Eldnar, Manurewa High School, Manukau
Suggested Serving Size, Te Awamutu College, Waikato
Smokey Blokes, Wellington /Hutt
Bark Like A Dog, Taieri College, Otago
The Subs, Christs College, Christchurch

The top three solo duos are:
Gretel Donnelly (Gretel): Rangitoto College, Auckland
Estella Romagnoli (Estella): Nelson College for Girls, singer-guitarist
Sam Cullen, Verdon College: Southland, singer-guitarist.

The top seven Smokefree Tangata Beats bands are:
Harmonies Divergent, Bay of Islands College, Northland.
Mit Eldnar, Manurewa High School, Auckland
Pocket-ture, Aorere College, Auckland
Salem, Gisborne Girls High School, East Coast
5th Division, Gisborne Girls High School, East Coast
The Remnant, Wanganui High School, Whanganui
KOA, Aotea College, Wellington

The top three solo duos are:
Silika and Gabby, Papatoetoe High School, Auckland
Evile and PJ, Haeata Community College Campus, Christchurch
Rongomai, Hagley Community College, Christchurch

Smokefreerockquest has national winners’ prize packages for bands and solo/duo winners that include $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. Smokefree Tangata Beats has additional awards for the cultural elements that are part of this event.

Musical successes from Smokefreerockquest over its 30-year history include Broods, Leroy Clampitt, Kimbra, Aaradhna, Opshop, Evermore, Ladyhawke, Kids of 88, Die!Die!Die!, Joel Little, Tiny Ruins, Marlon Williams, Brooke Fraser, Anika Moa, Chelsea Jade, Nadia Reid, Aldous Harding, Steriogram, Phoenix Foundation, Devilskin, The Black Seeds, Bic Runga, and The Naked and Famous. Smokefree Tangata Beats standout successes include Alien Weaponry, Strangely Arousing Nesian Mystik, the only New Zealand band to ever have ten singles all certified gold or platinum.

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