Local venues, Chicks and The Tunnel Hotel, are no more but Carey’s Bay Hotel and The Galley (part of Café Santosha) still host live music, and the Pioneer Hall and local town hall also occasionally host gigs from both local and touring acts.
Another couple of Port bands are Seafog and the Kōpūtai People’s Party(KPP).
The band say the album is a significant departure from their usual sound but familiar rock’n’roll meets alt-country flavours are still there, along with their trademark drawling vocals, jangly guitars and bit of distortion when it seems appropriate. They might hate for me saying this, but the album reminds me a lot of fellow Portsider, Robert Scott’s bands, The Bats and The Clean. In the song Influences the impact of growing up in Dunedin is there for all to see, with a strong nod to former local band, The Stones, as well as their more famous counterparts coupled with a big tip of the hat to The Who.
Standout tracks for me are the first track, Up the Harbour and Moa with some nice trumpet work by Helen Barsby. The album was recorded by Tom Bell at Chick’s Hotel and has a great cover by Sharon Singer, with design work by Sharon Sharma. It’s available on both record and on the usual streaming services.
The gig
• You can catch the band playing live with The Hollows at Pearl Diver on August 17.
• Listen to Seafog — https://seafog.bandcamp.com/album/slow-death-2
KPP — KŌPŪTAI PEOPLE’S PARTY
One could be mistaken for thinking the Kōpūtai People’s Party are some kind of local left wing pressure group but their aim is just to promote the other kind of party — the fun kind and no politics please!
This ultra-cruisy PC-based band features funky original tunes, incorporating the odd bit of reggae for good measure. The current six-piece line-up stems from an earlier three-piece act called Humbolt County, but, like many bands, they got bigger and the band is now Scott Klenner (vocals, guitar, songwriting), John Sule (bass), Ash Jowsey (drums), Ulf Uchida (mandolin), Patsy Eames (vocals) and Marshall Klenner (keys).
The band has just finished three days of recording at Sublime studios in Kurow towards their debut self-titled album, which will be coming out in August with a release party at Moons Restaurant and Bar on August 16. Several other local musicians have recently raved to me about recording at Sublime, which may seem expensive at about $800 a day, but that price includes all accommodation and the most excellent food and bands can record all day and deep into the night if they want to.
The gig
• The band’s next gig is a public one at the Dunedin Musicians club on July 16.
• Video — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d8fE8HKK5Y
VENUE: ERRICKS
Erricks, at 649 Princess St opened last December in response to the dire need for a mid-sized venue in Dunedin and they’re committed to doing their bit to revive the Dunedin music scene by providing great opportunities for musicians to play supported by a professional set up, but aim to attract larger touring bands to come to Dunedin too. The venue can also host private parties, meetings, corporate events and weddings.
The owners of Erricks are Mili Oxley Lobo and her husband, Baden Oxley. They’re also the owners of Ombrellos, which has been hosting live music for more than 10 years, so the couple are no strangers to the hospitality and entertainment business. Milli’s father, Ed Lobo, along with his partner, Michelle, is the founder of Lobofest — the annual summer music festival, which also does its bit to support local causes and charities.
July 13 marks the return of Lobo’s Winterfest, at Erricks. This year’s line-up includes Black Comet, T.Ō.K.E, Frequency Lane, Coin Laundry, Emily Alice Band, The Mentallist Collective, Ed and the Shadow Boys and Katharticus.
