Taupō-nui-a-Tia-College band Pocketwatchers and solo act Mikayla Edwards, from Tauhara College, have taken out the top spots at this year’s Rotorua regional Smokefree Rockquest final.
Their wins at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre on Friday, May 23 mean they will now each submit a video of original material to vie for selection as one of the top 15 finalists nationwide to play off at national finals in September.
It was a good night for bands from the town with Revamp from Taupō-nui-a-Tia also winning one of two musicianship awards on offer.
In fact, said Tauhara College music teacher Michaela Pointon, Taupō schools smashed it.
“We had just as many acts as the Rotorua region, which has six plus high schools, across our two main high schools here.”
Three bands and two solo/duos from Tauhara joined five bands and a solo act from Taupō-nui-a-Tia (one band being a combined act) at the regional event.
Five-piece Pocketwatchers Kaegan Palmer (guitar, lead vocals), Thomas Ramsay (lead guitar), Whakairo Karauti-Hape (bass, backing vocals), Leroy Walker (alto sax, backing vocals) and Frankie Bishop (drums) felt their performance on the night was “absolutely fantastic.”
“It was damn exciting… really proud of the way that the songs turned out, and the way we performed was great,” said Palmer.
Which was an achievement because in this configuration the band had only one live performance under their belt – the week before at school.
They were the only group with a sax this year at the regionals and Ramsay was also proud that Karauti-Hape and Walker doubled up on backing vocals while also playing instruments on stage, demonstrating their versatility.
They were keen to see how far they could get in Rockquest and any opportunities the exposure might throw up with though Palmer was already definite about pursuing a career in music.
“Most likely at this point, uni, but if this really takes off, then I probably won't go into that, I'll go straight into performing and writing for a career. So, we're trying really hard to do well at this because it might give us a way into the industry, which could be quite nice.”
They had several new compositions nearly complete from which to choose as part of their finals video submission, to be recorded with the help of mentor Ashley Pirie from False Heights.
And their name? A nod to Palmer’s love of psychedelic ‘60s rock and what seemed to be frequent lyrical references to time or time travel.
It had gone through several longer iterations but was now short enough to trip off the tongue.
“Pocketwatchers – remember the name,” said Karauti-Hape.
The Rotorua event was the second appearance for Year 12 solo singer Edwards from Tauhara, though she had attended before as part of a band in Year 9.
It took her a while to realise it was her name that had been announced as the solo winner on the night, she said.
“I actually didn't feel like it was real… all that hard work, it's, like, actually paid off and it’s getting real and so exciting.”
Her song ‘Seventeen’ had been brewing for a while, she said, having begun it when 14.
“I started writing it about one of our family friends… We had a crush on each other and our parents told us that we weren’t allowed to date till we were 17. That's kind of where the inspiration came from.”
Not actually 17 until August, Edwards is reasonably sure her suitor knows of the song’s subject.
“I've played it for him. I don't know if he knows it's about him, though… he probably does.”
A regular singer at her church she thought she might now start doing more gigs elsewhere.
And a professional recording of ‘Seventeen’ might be in the offing, said Pointon.
“We're thinking we might go to Parachute Studios potentially in Auckland and record ‘Seventeen’ and then release it, you know, on all the distribution platforms.”
Pointon was stoked Edwards and the other groups were taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the competition.
“It's the experience. And it's the journey of recording, the process of refining your art… all of those things.”
Smokefree Rockquest
Rockquest now in its 37th year, is held nationwide with events from Whangārei to Invercargill.
Acts compete across two categories, ‘solo-duo’ and ‘band’, with Smokefree Tangata Beats run alongside – after regional finals Tangata Beats winners follow their own selection process for a separate national final also in Auckland in September.
Today, two-thirds of secondary schools in Aotearoa participate in the competition, with audience numbers exceeding 10,000 every year.
This year’s 21 regional events lead up to the national final on September 20, following the Smokefree Tangata Beats national final on September 13, both in Auckland.
The full list of awards from Rotorua:
1st place Band - Pocketwatchers, Taupō-nui-a-Tia-College.
2nd place Band - Nga Kai Kiore, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Huiarau.
3rd place Band - Rau Huia, Rotorua Boys’ High School.
1st place Solo-Duo - Mikayla Edwards, Tauhara College.
2nd place Solo-Duo - Floss Savanah and John Tamuno, John Paul College.
1st place Smokefree Tangata Beats (band) - Kotahi te Rā, Rotorua Boys’ High School.
Musicianship Award - Te Ruanuku Teka from Mad Machines, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Huiarau.
Musicianship Award - Revamp, Taupō-nui-a-Tia-College.
Smokefree Best Vocals Award - Te Uamairangi Webster-Tarei from Kotahi te Rā, Rotorua Boys’ High School.
ZM Best Song Award - Angelica, John Paul College.
APRA Lyric Award - Tiffany from Stuck In A Smile for Echo In The Room, Reporoa College.
Rockshop Electronic Assist Performance Award - Angelica, John Paul College.
