OH BLOK frontman Kieran O’Connor performs during Friday night’s Smokefreerockquest regional final at the Theatre Royal. Photo: Phillip Rollo.

Oh yes for OH BLOK

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Garin College led the field at the Smokefreerockquest regional final at Nelson’s Theatre Royal on Friday night, with winners of both sections of the teen music event coming from the same school that produced 2011 national winner The Peasants. Four piece indie-pop-funk group Oh Blok won the band section at the sold out event, and Livvy and Anna won the new category for solo/duos.
Oh Blok spokesman, keyboard player Paddy Sanders, says it was the year 10 and 12 students’ third attempt at Smokefreerockquest. He and guitarist Louie Persico, vocalist Kieran O’Connor and drummer Josh Barker have been playing together for three years and spend their free time ‘hanging out’ together.
Paddy puts their success down to their love of music: “We just love the music we play and the crowd makes us pumped up,” he says. “We’d love to make our careers out of music and this is a great start – but we know it will be hard.”
Solo/duo winners were Livvy Nott and Anna Robinson. The national finals are in Auckland on September 28.

More images from the Smokefreerockquest regional final [album id=45 template=extend]