Good rapport key to success
A band that has been together for only three months took out the Northland regional final of Smokefree Rockquest at Forum North on July 1.
Kamo High School band A08 admitted they were surprised with the win. Drummer Josh Burn says the year 12 school mates pulled their band together in April to enter Smokefree Rockquest and were ‘‘not expecting at all to win’’.
‘‘We were in shock for a good 10 seconds until we processed it,’’ he says.
‘‘I think it (the win) was because we’re quite together - we really want to be a band, we had good rapport on stage and were really enjoying ourselves.’’
The other members of A08 are Olivia Sutherland, Shayla Thomas, Adam Roycroft, Maea Shepherd and Regan Edwards.
Punk-hardcore two piece band Weevils from Rodney College placed second. In third place was JKAz & DJ Teina, TKKM o Te Tonga o Hokianga.
The winners of Smokefree Pacifica Beats Award were Barry Jubei and Te Rina Kahle from Whangaroa College.
Performers now have to submit 15 minutes of their best material which will be judged in August for selection as national finalists.
Soloists Huia Shortland from Te Kapehu Whetu Teina and Mollie Harvey from Rodney College who placed first and second in the Northland event also go though to the finals.
Founder and director Pete Rainey says the Northland finalists will have to be well organised and work hard to make the most of the opportunity Smokefree Rockquest offered.
’’They have to submit video footage of their original music that will be judged in August as we lead up to the national final,’’ he says.
‘‘This process not only demands musical ability and creativity, they also learn to work together as a group and to develop the organisation and promotional skills they’ll need if they’re going to make it on the Kiwi music scene.’’
Submitted video footage will be played off at the Smokefree Pacifica Beats national final on September 1 at the Dorothy Winstone Centre in Auckland, followed by the Smokefree Rockquest national final on September 2.