Award 'So Right' for Masterton band

TOP SONG: Masterton pop rock band Vacant City, from left, Hayden Warren, Jesse Brown, Jake Schdroski, and Zac Emerson. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

A Masterton college band won the Best Song award at the Smokefreerockquest national finals in Auckland on Saturday.

Vacant City, a four-piece pop rock band, comprises students from Wairarapa and Rathkeale colleges including Jake Schdroski, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Hayden Warren on bass and synthesiser, drummer Zac Emerson and Jesse Brown on lead guitar and synthesiser.

The band, formerly known as Back to the Remedy, took out the Lowdown Best Song award with their song So Right, winning the opportunity to have the tune professionally recorded.

"It's one of our latest songs and one of our best at the moment. We're very proud to have won the award," Schdroski said.

Vacant City had battled to win the national SFRQ crown since starting college in 2009. This year was their last as eligible contestants and the band had entered as three-time Wairarapa regional heat winners and top 30 national place-getters.

The finals were held at Q Theatre in Auckland and pitted the Masterton unit against five other bands from across the country. Schdroski said the four-piece was in good form at the finals.

"It was real fun. There was a lot of energy from the crowd and we were in the zone. We played and performed well and we couldn't have been happier really."

Dub-roots four-piece HeadChef, from Wellington High School, took first place in the bands section of the finals and Georgia Lines, from Bethlehem College in Tauranga, won the solo-duo section and the Smokefree Women's Musicianship award.

Second placed band was Joe's Van from Mt Maunganui College, a trio with a six-year SFRQ history, while second in the solo/duo section was Cam Dawson, a blind Year 10 student at Manurewa High School.

Judge Jeff Newton said the overall standard of the six bands and three soloist/duo acts was so high he would have been "comfortable with any of them winning".

"HeadChef stood out for the quality of their songwriting, musicianship and performance - they were brave in what they shot for - with harmonies, rap and some surprising elements and complexities that they executed to a very high standard."

Fellow judge Anika Moa described the winning soloist as "absolutely fantastic".

"She was very entertaining, she dressed well, oozed confidence and is a very good songwriter - her songs nailed it."

HeadChef won $10,000 of musical gear from the New Zealand Rockshop chain and their suppliers, Georgia Lines $3000 worth. Both will also get a $10,000 song and video package from NZ On Air, inclusion on the NZ On Air Kiwi Hit Disc, radio promotional support, video play on youth music channel FOUR, and an all expenses paid, seven-day tour to Fiji.

Smokefreerockquest attracted just on 700 entries this year.

The top six bands that played off at the Smokefreerockquest 26th national final also included The Bradas from Alfriston College in Manukau, and Soda Boyz from Palmerston North Boys' High School and Freyberg High. The third solo/duo finalist to compete was Elae from Garin College in Nelson.