During their seven-minute, twosong set in front of 300 people in the Caroline Bay Hall on Friday night, singer and guitarist Josh Smith (17), brother Rob (16), on drums, and Jordan Hornblow (17), bass player, proved once again they are a cut above the rest.
Josh said the band had felt pressure to perform given their past success, but had had lower expectations of themselves because he had returned from a wedding in the UK only three days beforehand, limiting the band's practice time.
Although they performed well, the sensation of winning for the third time was one of relief, compared with the disbelief and excitement they had felt the previous two years, he said.
He believed the band's edge was the way the three of them interacted with each other on stage. Other bands were well-practised and sounded good, but had less expression in their stage performances, he said.
The Smith brothers, who moved to Timaru from England in 2003, won the regional final as a duo in 2006 and went on to reach the national top 12.
Last year, with Jordan Hornblow on board, they won the Timaru final again, but did not progress further.
Josh said they had learned a lot in the past three years and felt better prepared to have a tilt at one of the six spots in this year's national final in Christchurch on September 5.
‘‘I think we know what the judges are looking for and what we have to do as a band.''
Joining No Indication in the quest for a finals spot is second place-getter Making Dave, also from Timaru Boys' High, and People's Choice The Jadey Eyes, of Roncalli College, who won the award by a text-message vote.
From the day after the finals, the three bands have a 28-day deadline to produce a 15-minute video of their own music.
Six national finalists will be chosen from the 50-plus videos that will be submitted by first and second placegetters from each of the 24 regional finals, plus bands who qualify through the ‘‘Second Chance'' avenue or People's Choice Award winners.
Josh said No Indication was planning two gigs during the school holidays, which they would film for their video, and hoped to get good support from the public.
He and Jordan Hornblow were in their last year of school and were aware it was their last chance to succeed at Smokefreerockquest. They expected to go to university in Christchurch and hoped to keep playing music together. However, like most young musicians, they had dreams of turning professional.
‘‘If we can make it this year, who knows?''
He said there was a tinge of sadness to this year's finals, with more than half the bands competing for the last time after running up against each other for three or four years in a row.
‘‘We were all aware that it was the end of an era - it's sad to see it go.''
Rockquest Promotions director Glenn Common said it was now up to the three bands to make the most of the opportunity Smokefreerockquest offered.
‘‘From here on, a degree of professionalism is required. To be selected for the national final, they have to make a 15-minute video of their own music.
‘‘That's going to take commitment. They'll need to work together as a group and develop other skills that will help turn their creative talent into success.''
Bands who felt they had missed out because of ‘‘things going wrong'' on the night could enter the NZ Rockshop Second Chance, giving them another chance to qualify for a national final spot, he said.
The national final will be held at the Christchurch Town Hall on September 5, with a 20-year commemorative concert featuring past Smokefreerockquest successes to be held the following night.
OTHER RESULTS
The Mainz Musicianship Award with the opportunity to be selected for the $4500 Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand Scholarship, announced at the national finals: Ryan Geels, bass player from Rodrigez is a Woman (Timaru Boys' High School).
The Rockquest Promotions Best Song Award: Rodrigez is a Woman (Timaru Boys' High School).
The APRA Lyric Writer's Award judged from lyrics submitted at the heats: Nina Lowe, The Seskimos (Craighead Diocesan School) for the song Barry the Hobo.
The Smokefree Award for Women's Musicianship: Amber Bailey, drummer for the Seskimos (Craighead Diocesan School).
The Smokefree People's Choice Award voted by text message on the night: The Jadey Eyes (Roncalli College).
Third place, winning vouchers from the NZ Rockshops and their suppliers: Mont Baeker (Geraldine High School).
