They have band names like Dark Resurrection, Dr Elongationist and Sewage, but they might soon be known as the next Opshop or Kora.
Twenty-eight bands from schools around Otago performed at the Kings and Queens Performing Arts Centre in Dunedin yesterday.
Among them was Taieri College band Dark Resurrection, headed by vocalist Michael Quine-Mannix (13) and AC/DC-inspired duck-walking lead guitarist Hamish Graham (13).
Moments after performing in front of a crowd of several hundred parents and pupils, Michael told the Otago Daily Times he "definitely" wanted to carve out a musical career.
"If I could get married to music, I would," he said.
It was the first time his band had shared its mix of original material and covers with such a large crowd since forming last year, he said.
"This was our first big crowd. I was nervous at the start, but once I got on stage the nerves were all gone."
Mr Common said the event was a chance to find the next big New Zealand band.
More than 10,000 bands and solo performers had taken part in the competition since its inception, and New Zealand's latest headliners, Opshop and Kora, had both evolved from previous incarnations that won the national title, he said.
This year's event had attracted a record 753 bands from across New Zealand, spread across 25 regions, he said.
The top 14 bands from each region would be selected for regional finals, with Dunedin's event on May 29.
A separate Central Otago regional final would be held in Queenstown on July 24.
The nation's top 25 bands would be invited to submit 15 minutes of original material for assessment by judges, before the shortlist was whittled down further to the top eight bands.
The national final is in Hamilton on September 11.
• The 14 Otago finalists named yesterday are: Crawling Jelly!, Bayfield High School; Fun Time?, Kavanagh College; Hazel Dawson, Logan Park High School; Seaton, Taieri College; Angela from the Shrubbery, South Otago High School; Redemption, South Otago High School; Kane Strang, Bayfield High School; Before The Storm, Kavanagh College; Dr Elongationist, Logan Park High School; Champayne, Taieri College; Scout, St Hilda's Collegiate School; Triggered, John McGlashan College; Sewage, Logan Park High School; Sounds of the Womb, Logan Park High School.
