Features

We may be at the bottom of the world, but there’s still a sort-of-happening music scene. Sometimes the tricky part isn’t knowing what’s on, but where to go. With that in mind, Critic gives you a run down of the music venues you should be frequenting. Most aren’t “cool” in the traditional big city sense, but once you get past their strange appearances, you’ll be a regular.
The Cook
While the ground floor may be a cess pit of first years and beers, upstairs doubles as the location for some of the best Dunedin shows over the past year, including Die!Die!Die! and The Bats.
 
Copa
Down a back alley off George Street, Copa is one of the coolest bars in town. Not only is it cool, it also plays host to grimey bass music.
 
Chicks Hotel, Port Chalmers
It may be quite the trek, but Chicks is worth the drive (not least of all because of the Indian curries and Emerson’s pints). There is always someone playing, from the obscure to the more popularly known (The Ruby Suns, Laurence Arabia).
 
Di Lusso
Although it’s in the central hub for drunken scarfies (the Octagon), Di Lusso is about the DJs, making it the place to be for hip-hop, reggae, dancehall and dubstep.
 
The Empire
Ageing Irish pub by day, a sometimes music hub by night. Over the years, Dunedin big wigs such as The Chills and David Kilgour have played there.
 
Musos Club
Musos Club experiences long periods of hibernation, only to reappear with a great show. Hidden upstairs, the place has a strange school disco feel and is often populated with music old-timers.
 
Mou Bar
For a bar that draws tourists due to its title as “the smallest bar in the world”, Mou manages to have a fair few shows. From jazz to DJs to Dunedin bands, Mou is a good place for casual pint drinking/ band watching.
 
None Gallery
While, as its name suggests, None is generally used as a gallery space, both the upstairs and downstairs areas are often used as venues for bands, usually of the experimental noise-music variety.
 
Pop
Early on in the night, underground Pop is a great place for a classy cocktail. Later on, dance music DJs play indie electro, hip-hop, drum and bass and funk.
 
Refuel
As far as music genres go, Refuel is the town slut, with everything from hip-hop and drum and bass to indie, metal and jazz playing there. It has a strange old school vibe, but there’s something comforting about the cheap pints and booth seating.
 
Sammy’s
Sammy’s is huge and as a result barely ever fills to capacity. Everything from reggae to hip-hop, alternative bands to metal finds a home here.
 
XIIB
XIIB, or twelve below, for those not up with the roman numerals becomes a venue for specific events. It’s not huge, but that works in its favour for intimate shows with local bands such as Mountaineater and Operation Rolling Thunder.
 
Urban Factory
In its past life as “The Outback”, it was a sticky trap for classless first years, but now the cavernous Urban Factory plays host to international acts such as Squirellex, Samonella Dub and De La Soul.