Mid Canterbury bands have taken out top honours in the Smokefree Rockquest regional final at Timaru.
Mount Hutt College band Goodbye Thursday and Ashburton College band No Sleep At Work placed first and second respectively in the Smokefree Rockquest competition band category during the regional final last weekend at Craighead Diocesan School.
Goodbye Thursday also won the ZM Best Song category, and soloist Emma Papworth, of Mount Hutt College, placed second in the solo-duo category.
Goodbye Thursday vocalist and guitarist Bella Casey-Solly said their win was very unexpected.
“It’s super cool for a non-rock band to do really well in the competition. We have been together as this band for about a year and a half, and I think we work really well as a team,’’ she said.
‘‘We are in the process of putting our own gig together in Methven.”
Goodbye Thursday is made up of Bella Casey-Solly (guitar, vocals), Victoria Talbot (drums), Lucy Reeves (electric guitar (lead)) and Maddie Webb (bass, vocals).
Smokefree Rockquest 2023, powered by Rockshop, aims to motivate young musicians to strive for success, to realise the opportunities available in music careers, and to encourage their peers to support original New Zealand music.
Founder Pete Rainey said participating in the arts can have a big positive impact on young people.
“The arts in education play a huge role in helping our young people to face the future with a set of skills that give them flexibility, creativity, ability to co-operate and work in groups,’’ he said.
‘‘Skills they can apply in life wherever it takes them.”
The Smokefree Rockquest programme, which is now in its 36th year, is held nationwide with events held in venues in 21 regions from Whangarei to Invercargill – hosting thousands of young musicians every year.
Ashburton College band No Sleep At Work is made up up Kyle Dickson (electric guitar (rhythm)), Hal Twiname (bass), Sean McQuillan (electric guitar (lead), vocals), Kate Cochrane (drums).
The bands now join solo-duo winners for Timaru, Grace Olivia from Roncalli College (first) and Emma Papworth from Mount Hutt College (second) with the opportunity to submit a video of their original material for selection as one of the top 10 national finalists to play off at Auckland’s Q Theatre on September 16.
The event also featured Smokefree Tangata Beats entries for the region with live, original cultural music of New Zealand.
The Smokefree Tangata Beats Award went to Tika Beats from Timaru Boys’ High School who go into the selection process for their national final at Auckland’s QTheatre on September 15.
The new Rockshop best use of electronic assistance award went to 1MMORTAL from Geraldine High School.
Full results:
Band 1: Goodbye Thursday from Mount Hutt College, Band 2: No Sleep At Work from Ashburton College, Band 3: ACE from Craighead Diocesan School.
Solo/Duo 1: Grace Olivia from Roncalli College, Solo/Duo 2: Emma Papworth from Mount Hutt College
Smokefree Tangata Beats Award: Tika Beats from Timaru Boys’ High School
Rockshop Electronic Performance: 1MMORTAL from Geraldine High School
Best Vocals: Both singers from from ACE from Craighead Diocesan School
Musicianship: Levi Wood (lead guitar) from Un-not Miserable from Timaru Girls’ High School
Musicianship: Dyllin Morris (saxophone) from The Hmms from Timaru Boys’ High School
ZM Best Song: Goodbye Thursday from Mount Hutt College
APRA Lyric Writers’ Award: Olivia Morris from Waitaki Girls’ High School.
