And David Bennett is among the loudest of them all.
The Save Dunedin Live Music (SDLM) spokesman has been a tireless advocate for Dunedin’s precious music scene, which has faced increasing endangerment with challenge after challenge thrown its way.
Over the course of last year, Mr Bennett witnessed the closure of two venues — Dog with Two Tails and Dive.
Dog with Two Tails was subject to business difficulties and persistent noise complaints from residential properties over the past few years and Dive was served with three eviction notices following a disputed water bill.
With the list of defunct venues steadily mounting, artists and owners alike became worried.
Concerns were raised about a growing number of unmonitored student flat parties, and the city’s inability to provide a space for international and touring acts, but amidst a series of sad and persistent losses, hope remains.
The document proposed the creation of dedicated entertainment precincts, a review of acoustic insulation requirements and the investigation of options for a new mid-sized venue in the city.
He lead a successful public campaign which saw the Dunedin City Council voting 13-1 to adopt the plan and continue to develop the document.
It had been a huge part of his and others’ lives for the past two years, and he said it was "a solid starting point" to re-imagine the Dunedin’s music scene.
From out of the ashes of the former New New New brewery, Dunedin also welcomed newcomer Errick’s to the scene.
The new 500-capacity multipurpose venue posed a solution to the lack of a mid-sized venue and offered a stop for touring bands to the city.
Bar and entertainment venue Rewind similarly stepped into the mix, commandeering the former stomping ground of Dog with Two Tails.
It promised a nostalgia-inspired experience, drawing heavily from the 1980s and ’90s and, rather fittingly, repurposed furniture that its predecessor had left behind.
Another new venue is housed within DogStar Brew Lab in the Exchange. Dunedin musicians Saul Ross and Haddon Gamble have combined craft beer and live entertainment at Moons.
The pair hoped it would help fill the gap left by the closure of other venues across the city and continue the building’s legacy of good food, which had been started by the building’s previous occupants, Zucchini Brothers.
