High school students compete at RockQuest heats
Gone are the days of black jeans and eyeliner, these days it is all about op shop shirts and chinos for potential rock stars.
Gone are the days of black jeans and eyeliner, these days it is all about op shop shirts and chinos for potential rock stars.
Hamilton high school musicians competed for a spot in the Smoke Free Rock Quest finals on Sunday.
Hundreds of high school kids and their families packed into Clarence Street theatre all eager to see what new talent Hamilton has on offer.
Most of the bands dressed to impress, opting for a hipster style, proving the days of grunge are almost behind us.
Impress they did.
Situation Vacant, made up of Kaleesha Messent, 12, and Casey Messent, 14, captivated the crowd and judges too.
Kaleesha, who is still in primary school and Casey, who is Year 10 at Hamilton Boys’ High School, was named one of the finalists.
They are just one of the 10 bands who will be competing at the regional finals in June.
This year there is a separate category for solo/duos, and the top three solo/duos for Waikato, selected at the heats are:
- Harry Parsons, Cambridge High School,
- Ruby Walsh, Hauraki Plains College,
- PDJ, Morrinsville College.
The top 10 bands to play off at the regional final at Clarence Street Theatre at 7pm on Saturday June 29 are:
Situation Vacant, Hamilton Boys’ High School; Sunday Best, St Peter’s School (Cambridge); Chocolate Milk Homicide, St John’s College (Hillcrest); The Beautiful Shambles, Hillcrest High School; Red Nite Sky, St Peter’s School (Cambridge); Smoking Barrels, Taumarunui High School; The Shift, Hamilton Boys’ High School; Hot Nothing, Waikato Diocesan School For Girls; All Of A Kind, Putaruru College; and 5 Rupee, Morrinsville College.
Midnight Youth lead singer, and Rock Quest alumni, Jeremy Redmore, stopped by and gave the aspiring musicians advice on the music industry.
He told the crowd, that aspiring professional musicians had to be prepared to do it for the love of music, not anything else.
“Don’t get into it for fame or money,” said Redmore. “If you want to be famous go on a reality TV show, it is way easier.”
Rock Quest is now in its 25th year.
Around 700 entries are expected to go through regional heats and finals in 23 towns from Invercargill to Whangarei.
Founder and Director Glenn Common says while much has changed in the 25 years that SFRQ has been running, there are some things that remain the same.
“The enthusiasm of young people for their music, and the way they respond to having a platform to perform to their peers is one of the constants,” he says. “These days they can put their video clips up on Youtube, but that hasn’t taken the thrill out of getting up on stage in front of a real live crowd.”
