Rockingham Regional Song Contest 2026
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Unfortunately I have too much on my plate this year for a variety of reasons. Perhaps I will run the Rockingham Regional Song Contest once more in 2027. Apologies. Gives more time for new songs to be created!
24/05/2025
Here is an entry by Lorenzo Martinez.
"Red Wine and Ci******es"
Red Wine and Cigarette Original song written in 2020
‘Eyre Highway’ – Written by Kathy Carver
‘Eyre Highway’ is the one of the first singles written by the West Australian country music artist and comes from
Kathy Carver’s debut album, Pretty Walls. True to its title, this is a classic road trip anthem that
pulses with energy. Bringing a driving beat, low-down guitars, fiddles and banjo to the Aussie
highway experience, the standout feature of ‘Eyre Highway’ is Kathy’s distinctive vocals, which
have a hint of Shania come Reba but are always distinctively antipodean.
‘Eyre Highway’ tells the story of a road trip across the Nullarbor in a Holden Astra station wagon,
with Kathy’s bestie (Thelma & Louise) riding shotgun and her friend’s husband’s (Tuppy) ashes in
the back. It’s a vivid and touching narrative that captures Kathy’s rare ability to turn even the most
tragic of life events into something both joyful and deeply human.
21/05/2025
So here is an entry for this year's, "Attention", by Zaidyn Van Zyl, winner of the 2024 Rockingham Regional Song Contest, with his song "Girl of your dreams". He will have more entries, I am sure. It was even more remarkable to win last year's competition with the first song he wrote, at the age of 16.
Inspiration Behind the song:
Attention is a indie-rock song driven by a distorted bass, bright synth and punchy guitar riff. Exploring fear of intimacy and commitment, its lyrics delve further into describing wanting a romantic relationship to feel something.
Lyrics:
(Verse 1)
I gave you too much attention
Teased you with my love for a second
Now you can’t live without my affection
I shouldn’t have flirted with you
I had no intent to follow through
Now I mean something more to you
(Pre Chorus)
I shouldn’t have done it, but I did
I just wanted to feel somethin’
I shouldn’t have done it, but I did
I just wanted to feel somethin’
(Chorus)
Attention Attention
Attention Attention
(Verse 2)
You were scrolling on by and stopped to say hi (Hey)
But I wish you didn’t
You knew from the start I like to be alone
But you didn’t read my tone
Over your head it went
(Pre Chorus)
I shouldn’t have done it, but I did I just wanted to feel somethin’
I shouldn’t have done it, but I did I just wanted to feel somethin’
(Chorus)
(Do it for) Attention Attention
(Do it for) Attention Attention
(Bridge)
Did I smile too much is it my fault? (My fault)
Don’t hold a grudge, don’t miss my touch (No)
You know it eats me up, I miss you sometimes
Did I mess up? (Did I?) Did I mess up?
I’ll disappear (I’ll disappear)
But though I’m gone, I’ll still whisper in your ear I’ll keep you here
(Pre Chorus)
I shouldn’t have done it, but I did I just wanted to feel somethin’
I shouldn’t have done it, but I did I just wanted to feel somethin’
(Chorus)
Attention Attention
(Do it for)
(Do it for)
Attention Attention
Attention - YouTube Music Provided to YouTube by Zaidin Van Zyl Attention · Zaidin Van Zyl Attention ℗ 2025 Zaidin Van Zyl Released on: 2025-02-11 Main Artist: Zaidin Van Zyl Pr...
15/05/2025
This is the Awards Night Presentation Video for the 2024 Competition Awards Night. It is 25 minutes long, but IMHO it is compelling viewing!
I am using it as evidence in applying for an arts grant from local, state and federal bodies. Mark Anderson created this video, donating considerable time and creative expertise. I want a grant for making a similar video at the next awards. 100 or so hours including probably a few all nighters, deserves payment.
So Mark Anderson, of Rewind2Play (FB Rewind Duo) turned out to be the MAJOR Sponsor last year. Thanks! Now its time to get it a few views!
If you like it, please share with your friends to increase awareness of the competition
Awards Night Presentation 2024 Rockingham Regional Song Contest Introduction, nominations and winners for 5 categories
14/05/2025
FOR VOTERS:
Vote for songs using the LIKE button. LIKE=1 vote, WOW=2 votes, LOVE=3 votes.
Share songs you like to help them reach a wider audience and get more views. With enough shares, a song could go viral and become a hit! Anyone anywhere in the world can vote!
FOR MUSICIANS
Must be a resident from Wandi to Waroona, east to Boddington
(Seat of Brand, cities of Kwinana, Rockingham, Mandurah and the Peel Region)
Can share your to your followers.
You need to send me:
Photo (for use in Awards night Video)
A paragraph on what gave you the inspiration (optional)
The lyrics (optional) These two option are posted with the song to help viewers and judges assess the songs and have better understanding!
The mp3 or mp4 original. Easy to convert an mp3 to mp4 with a photo as backdrop to the audio.
The category or categories you wish the entry to be in!
JUDGING: By public vote in all categories but one.
The Song of the Year will have 2 trophies. One for the most popular song and one which is best determined by a panel of judges who also judge the WA Music Song Contest which has been running for 30 years.
CATEGORIES:
MOST VIEWED SONG:
A trophy and congratulations. Your song should be on the way to becoming a hit! PLEASE NOTE THAT IF SOMEONE VIEWS A VIDEO MULTIPLE TIMES, FACEBOOK COUNTS IT AS ONE VIEW. To find out more, please google "how does facebook count video views"
BEST BACK CATALOG SONG.:
For songs written published before 2024. Trophy
Best Original Song (SONG OF THE YEAR) two trophies and some cash, one by public vote and one by judging panel
SONG OF THE YEAR
ORIGINAL SONGS WRITTEN/PUBLISHED 2024 or leter
Most Creative Cover Version:
A completely different version compared to the original, or a complete change of lyrics to a song. Trophy
Best Folk or Country: Trophy
Best Instrumental (including jazz) (NO VOCALS) Trophy
BEST ACOUSTIC SONG
BEST ALT ROCK, PUNK, EXPERIMENTAL :
Trophy + $250 (promised after last Award night, as minority genres have difficulty getting gigs or winning song contest)
BEST VIDEO:
No AI please. Either a photoshoot or handcrafted video, but no AI.
All songs entered as videos in all categories automatically qualify
There probably will be more cash prizes depending on sponsorship.
However I am applying (not much hope) for a grant for: Occasionally boosting a post to reach a wide audience. (I hate giving money to Mark Zuckerberg, who clocks it up as revenue earned in Ireland, where the company tax rate is 12.5%. Maybe Ireland might have a little leverage against Trumps tariffs!
Funding a video for the Awards Night presentation
Funding some admin costs. Website domain cost, Website hosting fees and a few other bits and pieces that may emerge. You don't know what you don't know. I applied last year, but they don't fund competitions. But the competition is a vehicle to increase awareness of your music and eventually become a hit incubator.
As soon as we reach 20 songs posted, I will start looking for sponsors and grants, so if you have songs ready go, please post them early. It means you a longer time to get more shares and more views!
Can PM me the above, or via email to gallearthur@hotmail. If no rapid response to email, it's in the Junk Folder! A text message to Arthur on 0407 173 320 also works!
Can use dropbox, iCloud etc to send the mp3 or mp4
This song was an entry in the 2023 competition. It is not eligible for any prizes. But I posted it recently on Rockingham Gig Guide in a post offering to teach men how to jive and lead, as I consider it to be an important life skill. I wish I had learned to jive as a young man, and wrote how it could have changed the trajectory of my life! It concluded with how I came to have a fabulous dance partner who I danced with occasionally. She had a boyfriend, so it was only about once a month, but I used to take her, along with friends or boyfriend or family to gigs in Freo, Perth, The Brighton Hotel and The Ravenswood Hotel. Then suddenly, it seemed she had blocked me off. I hadn't heard of ghosting. After a month, I wrote the lyrics which Mark Anderson of Rewind2Play put to music. It turned out she had been extremely busy for numerous reasons. When I told her mother about the song, the dance partner, who I called "Rita" as I hadn't got her permission to use her real name, was delighted by it, and we went to celebrate it. Someone was kind enough to take a video of us dancing. I was a little drunk, it has to be said, and I am not good at doing drunk! So my leading was a little off. However, I overlaid the song to the video, and at the end of the story, I included the lyrics and the video. The video attracted 3.7K plays in just 2 days. But there are only 1.4K followers of the Rockingham Gig Guide! 4 shares definitely helped. I want to see if I can make the song go viral, and maybe get a hit, and any lessons learned will be shared with all artists. The winner of the Most Viewed Video at the Awards night will be invited to give us tips on how they did it. I have found the way forward to get more people to listen to your songs or view the videos, and with this FB page, the advantage over last year is that, the public and artists can both share your songs, and the public can vote for songs using LIKE. LIKE is 1 vote, WOW is two votes, and LOVE is 3 votes. Good luck to everyone! And I think this approach is more conducive to some of you being able to get a hit as a result of the competition. I hope so! That would be so wonderful, as it is so hard to break through!
Brenton Siviour: Moments and Memories
13/05/2025
13/05/2025
Almost Sunday. Song is 'Please Wait'.
Please Wait Provided to YouTube by DistroKidPlease Wait · Almost SundayPlease Wait℗ 3801950 Records DKReleased on: 2024-02-15Auto-generated by YouTube.
13/05/2025
Almost Sunday. Song called Lazy.
Lazy Provided to YouTube by DistroKidLazy · Almost SundayLazy℗ 3801950 Records DKReleased on: 2023-11-13Auto-generated by YouTube.
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