For more than two decades, the Smokefreerockquest has pumped out a significant number of the who's who in New Zealand's popular music.
Musical successes rising from the national secondary schools competition include Kimbra, Midnight Youth, Opshop, Evermore, Ladyhawke, Die!Die!Die!, Cairo Knife Fight, the Datsuns, Zed, Brooke Fraser, Anika Moa, Steriogram, Aaradhna, Spacifix, The Feelers, The Black Seeds, Nesian Mystik, Bic Runga, King Kapisi, The Naked and Famous, Autozamm, Elemeno P - the list goes on.
So it should come as no surprise that the 12 bands from around the southern region competing in this year's Otago and Southland regional final are hoping their performances will make them the next big thing in music.
They will battle each other at Kavanagh College, at 7pm tonight, for one of the coveted six spots at the national finals in September.
The competing bands are Like A Kid (St Hilda's Collegiate School), Kosh (John McGlashan College), 28 Fifty (King's High School), Limitless (Taieri College), Alex and the Lads (Taieri College), oh1 oh2 (Menzies College), Juvenile (James Hargest College), Bark Like a Dog (Taieri College and Logan Park High School), Painted Blind (Logan Park High School), Unscripted (Taieri College), Farther from the Sun (John McGlashan College and Logan Park High School), and Six Years (John McGlashan College, Kavanagh College and King's High School).
Smokefreerockquest founder and director Glenn Common said at the regional final level, some entrants were already demonstrating the standout factor that might see them achieve music career success.
"The benefits of coming together, meeting fellow musicians and playing to a live audience can't be overstated.
"Becoming a performing artist is not a one-day project. It's a long road until you're writing the sort of songs that help to shape a nation's identity, as some past Smokefreerockquest winners like Anika Moa and Jason Kerison have done.''
He said the top two bands from the regional final would be asked to send in 15 minutes of video, for selection to go into the national finalists' judging pool.
"They're joined by Levi Dick, from Invercargill's James Hargest College, and Joshua Larkins, from King's High School in Dunedin, who were selected as the two solo/duo winners for the region at the heats held last month."
National final prize packages include $22,000 worth of Rockshop vouchers; a $20,000 NZ On Air recording, video and promotions package; an exposure campaign on The Edge TV; and a photo shoot and branding package from Imaginary Friends.
