Presenter Robert Rakete is backstage at Wellington's St James Theatre for the 1993 final of the Smokefree Rockquest. Twelve bands from schools across Aotearoa compete for the title, and thousands of dollars worth of musical gear. Grunge is a strong influence: bands like Wooden Daisies from Pakuranga College rock the plaid shirt, while True T'ru from Hastings Girls' High keep things R&B with an En Vogue cover. Pink Floyd fans Blatant Composure are highly commended in the Original Song category, and (14 minutes in) third placer Bic Runga shows the star quality that got duo Love Soup signed to Pagan Records.
The two founders of Rockquest Promotions, Pete Rainey and Glenn Common, first met while working as high school teachers in Christchurch. In 1988 they entered some bands from their school into a performance competition that a local radio station was putting on. They saw the kids really responding to the opportunity to play contemporary music.– Background on the history of the Smokefree Rockquest, on the official website
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