The rockquest doesn't encourage bands to do 'the work' until they've won their regions finals. And even still, organising a gig at school and having it recorded is piss easy. They won't make you pay for anything, a vocal PA is usually already there and getting in to people in to the school hall at lunch is also easy, even if you are at a school where 90% of the people play rugby and bands.

There have been some great musicians who have been through the rockquest. It's a good thing.. don't get me wrong.. but, yeah.

that's exactly right.

like 80% of them

Dude, there's no need to be aggressive. I'm on your side :D

If you guys are really dedicated and are putting in work, then good on you. I'm obviously not talking about you or your band. And I know there are bands in New Zealand who do put in the work... but there are heaps more who don't.

The rockquest had my band playing in front of 900 people. That's what it did for my band... it was good. It also motivates a whole lot of musicians to start bands, and gives them something to do with themselves.

hmm cheers ian...

don't know anyone that wants two free tix to it do ya?

are you being sarcastic ian?. i dunno, i got some tix in the mail today, so i'm assuming you have to pay...

but if ya want tix.......ya can have 'em.

Matt whinge whinge whinge.

Being in a band is piss easy. You dont need a manager do it yourself you bum.

heres the list of semi finalists all over the country. all north island bands which is quite interesting, seeing as the final is in chch....

Pheonics rising - Mairehau HS (where the fuck is that?)
Columtiange - Selwyn Coll
Scorpadye - Epsom Girls
Jesse Caffin - Westlake Girls
Nine Miles - Hamilton Boys/Raglan Area
Black & White - Auck Girls Grammar/Kelston BHS
Permafrost - St Marys Coll/Queen Margeret coll
The Have - Wanganui HS
The Beatniks Foundation - Wanganui HS
Lint - Waihi Coll
Toll House - KeriKeri HS
Mission Gizzard - Dilworth school (again, where?)

ill leave to u to work out which will go to welly.... im too tired

nah man. pete rang me and apparently we were top band in the SI massive or some shit. i spose if one of those schools are SI he lied. But oh well we have kept gigging, and workin out new stuff, maybe gonna record sometime.

wait that cant be right, apparently all RQ bands dont play after losing out - they just break up... sure. (that wasnt at you)

mission gizzard are from auckland and they are wicked, so are the other auckland ones :P

What do you mean by SI Jimi??

Jimi-

Dilworth's is a school for guys. I think its mainly for boys who have certain family circumstances-eg-their fathers dying or whatever. They give free entry to people like that (apparently) It's In Epsom, Auckland.

I even found a site for ya, lol.

[ http://www.dilworth.school.nz/ ]

jimi bro 4 of those bands are from the south island.

in the semis they take 4 bands from the south island.
4 from the bottom of the north. and 4 from the top.

dont worry about it man. i just hate the fact they lie

in regard to the list of finalists posted by jimi - the 'jesse caffin' from Westlake is actually jesse cassindan, i saw her at a poxy little 'youth arts' gig in titrangi - she was great, awesome singer and talented guitar player, in my humble opinion. i dont know her well but i had a chat to her after her set, nice gal, should be famous, as im sure the other finalists should be.

jimi - Well yeah maybe the equipment is halfway decent. Then again I have almost zero experience with the technical side of performing. I mean its better than nothing of course but from my experience this year at the CHCH heats, I felt like it was. The mic didn't seem like it was on (the guy at the mixing desk didn't bother to turn it up, which they did for other bands), and the keyboard was way louder than everything. Then again I was so petrified and nervous that day I forgot to adjust the guitar amp to my liking and turn my D-Pedal up. Over the years people have complained about the equipment, but maybe its just the Soundcheck guys. i mean they didn't really help with sound apart from plugging in the leads. In hindsight I don't regret entering Rockquest, I can't say it was the best experience but its proabably the most fair chance I've had to play music out of the garage.

I'm not blaming rockquest for my bands dysfunctions, I'm going by my personal opinion of it and these days if I ever think about other bands doing well in Rockquest I can't get over the fact that I've left something that I could have had fun with till the last minute where there isn't any second chances. Infact my band didn't start to dissolve after rockquest, it happened before and after another gig after RQ. At the start maybe I got into this for all the wrong reasons but now i do it because it gives me personal satisfaction out of playing music. I mean if you write your own music and like performing why not enter rockquest??

What a 3 min limit to set up? I thought there was no set limit. There actually was lights at the venue, real lighting not just a fully lit room though. And we had no bass that day anyway and it sounded weak as a whole.

well fuk me in the arse!
oh well shit happens.

well i guess i just outed my self as the shit stirring bearded bitch Judy.
please send your death threats and hate mail to:
P.O 666 Welly.

spewing negativity while hiding behind an ambiguous name.....

sweet.

// don't go round telling other bands they should do more work according to you're ideals.

too bad angsty will never ever get off his high horse.

Oh I just read your post again... and.. if these bands want to make music and that's all then that's fine, good on them. If there's a band that only wants to busk on queens street, that's fine. If there's a band who enjoys playing at the kings arms every month, that's also good!

But it's not these bands I'm talking about.

// Being in a band is piss easy. "

come on bro, when are insipid coming to wellington to record. if being in a band is piss easy, do it:) being in a band is piss easy, making a living ain't. if making a living ain't the goal...sweet.

and jimi, i said "so many good bands " not ALL bands

why don't you guys hook up with motherguru for some shows, they are coming over here next weekend to record and play at indigo.

Matt putts any money he can get a hold of straight into his gear, recording or the band. I'm not judging you guys cause i don't know the situation, but you guys could record a demo for like a $100 at zeal if you just get your asses into action to get over here.

i can't believe you guys didn't get asked to come to wellington. hard luck bro.

basically i think matt was trying to say that he has spent his time/money/commitment on playing more then 2 "competition" shows a year. this ain't a rockquest thread, the rockquest is a great competition, but honestly past playing a big show through a PA and having a chance to win some gear, there ain't much else it does for a band, you would get alot further putting the time and effort you do preparing for the rockquest playing gigs round town, recording and releasing shit. this ain't just the rockquest, but any "band" competition, the "battle of the bands" ain't much better, no matter how you put it saying one band is better then another and awarding them for it is wrong.

Angsty is on to something, but said it wrong. i think he meant to say

SOME (note, the non-generalisation) bands wait for thing to happen rather then going out there and just doing it.

Man fucking hell.
Every waking minute of my life goes into music.

do you hear me whinging?? Everything goes into my music. Every penny. My flat smells of cat piss but instead of buying cleaning fluid i buy a new pedal or buy my drummer a new drum skin or petrol to go and play shows.
Music is not hard. It is worth it. sonic life.

Now onto the rockquest.
the rockquest is a shity waste of time.
It really does nothing but fuck with peoples heads.
Sure it gives people motivation to form and play. But usually does more damage than good.

this flat has demons. It aint my cat.

demons who piss everywhere.

yep. matt is a little whinging bitch, as are 99% of tennage boys. he obviously got offended at angstys sweeping remarks becuase of the huge commitment i know that matt puts in to the band. I'm not here to defend his aggresivness, but to understand the shit he goes through you have to know him. He does make sacrifices for the band, these forums are not the places to be discussing it though. Yeah he failed 6th form, but for some mad reason the school let him sit a full bursary course. All the ejector dudes are sitting bursary and still going hard core with the band, I will give you an example of their commiment to school/band

recent Marystaple/Ejector mini tour.
Wednesday night - I pick them up from school and drive to palmy, Ejector and staple play gig in palmy, after hanging around after gig we drive back to welly to get there at 4:30am. They then have to get up for school at 7:30am, I pick them up from school at 3:30 and drive straight to Napier. We get to Napier and have to basically walk in to the gig and play.
2 gigs, 2 days of school and 3 hours sleep in 2 days. just to keep school happy and to keep playing live and touring. I am sure this is a pussy tour story and heaps of bands could give me better. (i talked to andy from zed once, who was telling me they had 3 days off in 3 months of playing), but just an indicaction of how they juggle school and playing.

Ejector are going on another tour in the second week of the school holidays. And all are studying hard and practising hard.

matt has a personal vendetta against the RQ

sad to hear that you are breaking up. i fell like i know you guys and it's a shame i won't get to see insipid perform. I'd love to know an honest response though. Forget the "great playing through a wonderful PA"..and "playing to a large amount of people" bullshit about the RQ, answer these questions honestly.

If you had put your effort and energy to getting your band a reputation outside of rockquest, practising for gigs, recording and touring, rather then preparing for the rockquest....would your band be in a better position now?

If you had a song that had been played on the radio a few times, had an EP out, had toured and played with some really good bands, would you still be breaking up..or would you guys take a year off tertiary to give it a go?

I've worked with bands who prepare for the RQ, therir practises consist of getting their 1 song ready, then their 7 minutes ready, then their 15 minute set ready, all they talk about and think about is RQ, you never hear them think about life outside of RQ. Once RQ announces semi-finalists/finalists it is mid september already and the school year is finishing soon, people are planning to do other schooling next year and becuase of the bands poor showing in the RQ, they give up. (this applies i am sure to 95% of RQ bands)

keep me informed about this recording though dude, i am really keen to hear it. if you'd come to welly to record i would have got some nice as recording shots for ya though.

yeah you sound on to it, brother.

the nelson scene probably is a wee bit different to the wellington scene :) you could always borrow andorus boat:) and row over.

sounds like your band are on to it and get there shit together without the need of the RQ, so it's all good. RQ isn't evil, just semi-evil.

what i will say for RQ though is that it did seem to work for evermore. They scored some good support slots, the profile helped them get nz on air funding, they made a nice little video and single. and kept a relativly high profile for a while. Haven't heard much from them lately though, according to their website they are still together.