Luckily, it just so happens that I know of several seated gigs to choose from. Remember to wear a mask, stay physically (but not socially) distanced and continue to support local music.
KAHU ROPU, HUMAN SUSAN AND THE FABULISTS
Dive, tonight (September 5) at 8pm, $10
Some might remember a Dunedin band from the 1990s called High Dependency Unit. I don’t because I was roughly 1 at the time, but apparently it opened for bands such as Mogwai and Shellac, which is kind of amazing. Kahu Ropu is a solo project of HDU frontman Tristan Dingemans and it’s pretty captivating. Human Susan is a duo which describes itself as "day-glo dance grunge", and The Fabulists is a band which describes itself as "alt-funk-indie-rock". Sounds like you’ll be able to experience a rich stew of sonic meats without venturing from your seat! Dive is the de-colonialised form of The Captain Cook Hotel, in case you missed that.
WOLFSKULL, SEWAGE AND PSI DIVISION
The Crown Hotel, tonight at 9pm, door charge
Sometimes you just want your brain to melt, and when you want your brain to melt you usually want it to melt at The Crown Hotel, where it’ll slowly leak out your ears and leave a beautiful stain on the absorbent carpet. This is one of those gigs. Wolfskull is basically a super-group of relentless aural battery, Sewage is smooth jazz/adult contemporary a la Kenny G, and PSI Division!? Don’t even talk to me about PSI Division (because I know nothing about them).
JULIAN TEMPLE, HA THE UNCLEAR AND NEIVE STRANG
Starters Bar, tonight at 8pm, $20
The concept here is to turn the usually pretty hectic Starters Bar into a chill place to sit and hear some tunes. A bold and noble vision indeed, and they couldn’t have picked a better trio of acts to kick things off. Julian Temple Band is a local legend, Ha the Unclear is an alt-pop band (but not today) with story-like lyrics, which will work perfectly as a solo set, and Neive Strang is a vastly under appreciated indie folk rock songwriter who just won the first prize at Bring the Noise.
HOOT AND FRIENDS
Dog with Two Tails, tonight at 9pm, $10
Local blues band Hoot will bring a down-low funky soul vibe to the Dog. Fronted by Oscar LaDell, it is pretty much as tight as you’d want a blues band to be. And there will be secret special guests, too.
For more from Fraser Thompson go to dunedinsound.com.
