More than 40 Northland school bands, solo artists and duos are about to start their quest for musical success with the regional heats of the Smokefreerockquest less than two weeks away.
Smokefreerockquest is the country's largest musical talent quest and every year a strong contingent of talented young Northland students take to the stage to try to earn a shot at a place in the national final, and a slice of more than $40,000 worth of prizes.
The Northland regional Smokefreerockquest heat will be held at Forum North on June 8, with the 41 acts then whittled down to about 14 to compete in the Northland regional final, also at Forum North, on July 4.
Now in its 26th year, Smokefreerockquest is New Zealand's only nationwide, live, original music, youth event, reaching audiences in excess of 10,000 every year.
The winners of the Northland final will then compete for a chance to go into the national final at Q-Theatre, Auckland, on September 27.
Prizes on offer at the national final include, in the band category; $10,000 of musical equipment from the Rockshop for first place, plus recording time and a music video from NZ on Air, $5000 musical equipment from the Rockshop for second and $3000 musical equipment from the Rockshop for third.
In the solo/duo category first place gets $3000 of musical equipment from the Rockshop, plus recording time and a music video from NZ on Air, second place gets $1000 musical equipment from the Rockshop. Other prizes include tuition fees for one year to a MAINZ Course, valued at $4800; Smokefree Women's Musicianship Award, $1000 cash; the Lowdown Best Song Award, Song professionally recorded and APRA Lyric Award, $500 cash.
Musical successes from Smokefreerockquest over its 25-year history include Kimbra, Joel Little, Midnight Youth, Opshop, Annah Mac, Evermore, Ladyhawke, Minuit, Die!Die!Die!, Cairo Knife Fight, Cut Off Your Hands, The Datsuns, Brooke Fraser, Anika Moa, Anna Coddington, The Electric Confectionaires, Steriogram, Aaradhna, Spacifix, The Naked and Famous, Phoenix Foundation, The Feelers and The Black Seeds.
Bands taking part in the heats will be: Condition of the Blimp, from Bream Bay College (BBC); Take 2 -- Huanui College; Wicked Wings -- Whangarei Intermediate; Co-Lab -- Whangarei Boys' High School (WBHS); Mean As -- Bream Bay College; Helensklan -- Rodney College (RC); Yellow Mercury -- WBHS; The Hire Society -- BBC; The Monkey Assassins -- Rodney College; Reduced To Bones -- Kamo High School (KHS); Rob and the BLT -- BBC; T-NUC -- WBHS; Limitless Dread -- Tikipunga High School; logical drift -- BBC; Boy Legs -- Whangarei Girls' High School; Mile Zero -- Otamatea High School (OHS); Alien Weaponry -- BBC; The Vybes -- OHS; Famous Last Words -- RC.
Solo acts and duos competing are: The Unemployed -- RC; Oak Whisper -- WBHS; Cannon -- RC; Beanie Reef -- KHS; illegally lucky -- RC; Lad Army -- BBC; The Primbsons -- RC; MackaJacka -- Wellsford School; Archey's Frog -- RC; Brenna -- BBC; Jordon Donovan -- RC; Josh Fenwick -- KHS; Nicky -- RC; Abby Chambers -- Tauraroa Area School (TAS); Emma Scott Rankin -- OHS; Libby -- RC; Hawked Unseen -- BBC; Mollie Harvey -- RC; Summer -- KHS; Felicity Redwood -- RC; Sepp -- KHS; Danielle Ngakuru-Smith -- TAS.