Tauranga band, soloist take top prizes in competition

Joe's Van's Cormac Seymour, Rory Priest and Jake Nicholas from Mount Maunganui College were named the top teen band at Friday night's national final of Smokefree Rockquest.

Two Tauranga acts took out the big awards at this year's Smokefree Rockquest national finals.

After seven years of competing for the title of best teen band, Joe's Van was named the best teen band of Smokefree Rockquest at the Friday-night event.

Joe's Van, made up of Cormac Seymour, Rory Priest and Jake Nicholas, all in Year 13 at Mount Maunganui College, beat more than 700 entries to win this year's competition. Ben Mollison, also from Tauranga, placed first in the solo category of the music competition.

Ben Mollison, a guitar and harmonica-playing singer-songwriter from Bethlehem College, won first place in the solo section of the Smokefree Rockquest. Photo / George Novak

Vocalist and bass player for Joe's Van Jake Nicholas said the trio was relaxed going into the competition but ecstatic with the result. The musicians had not brought anything new to their performance for this year's competition, wanting to stay true to their performing roots, he said.

"We didn't want to change anything we did, just to get that first place. Because if we had to change something to get it, that wasn't us. We just had fun and fed off each other."

The winning performance comprised two songs, Mikey and Shroomy Sam, he said. "Mikey is about how everybody is so focused on their own idea of success and that going to uni, getting educated, finding a house, finding a job, having a family - all that stuff. But you have to live in the moment and enjoy where you are, because otherwise you regret it."

The second song was based on surfboards being made out of mushrooms.

"It's a more sustainable way of making surfboards and better for the environment. Basically mushrooms are put in a mould with mulch and the fungi eats around it, goes hard and the board is then coated with a bio-resin."

Nicholas said the boys had no idea they would top this year's competition.

"There was just such a high standard of musicians this year. It was just crazy. From the moment we walked in, we could not pick anything, solo and bands. You could not tell who was going to get what."

The three musicians would all take a gap year next year, making music their priority. "We might only get one shot at this, so we have got to make it a good one."

Mollison, 16, said Friday night's performance was one of the first gigs he went into not feeling too nervous. "I was just ready to get on and perform and I think that really helped with the performance and how it all turned out."

He wrote both the songs he performed - People of the Night and One to One.

One to One was about a John Lennon poster he had in his room, while People of the Night was about a homeless man he met in Greerton a few years ago.

"He came and talked to me like we'd met before and it was just a strange, odd interaction. It struck me as very bizarre but very inspirational." It was also the first song he had written.

Mollison said he felt privileged with the award. "Everybody in my category was crazy talented and I felt very fortunate to take out first prize."

The prizes

* Joe's Van wins $10,000 in Rockshop vouchers, a $10,000 NZ On Air recording, video and promo package, a Decent Exposure campaign on Edge TV, a photo shoot with Thievery Studio, and a branding package from Imaginary Friends.

* Ben Mollison wins $3000 in Rockshop vouchers, a $10,000 NZ On Air recording, video and promo package, a Decent Exposure campaign on Edge TV, a photo shoot with Thievery Studio, and a branding package from Imaginary Friends. He also won the Apra Lyric Award, collecting $500.