The hour has come for everyone to put their money where their mouth is. Look, we all love the idea of saving Dunedin venues – as evidenced by local movements, posters, and fundraisers – it’s just that we don’t seem to love actually getting up from behind our keyboards and going to them. I am a frequent gig attendee, but I’m often disappointed at the low turnout for bands that appear to be ‘beloved’. Unless it’s a major gig such as Mount Eerie at Dive (RIP), I usually expect a dozen people in the crowd, tops. It’s like we create empty venues just so that we can mourn them. But there is a solution: the Dunedin Fringe Festival starts on March 14th. Prove that you actually care about the arts (yes, all the arts) and the venues that bring them to us.
Live performance is such a unique experience that absolutely cannot be matched by streaming artists' music from a parasitic service or watching stand-up clips on TikTok. The feeling of the bass hitting your body is soul cleansing – the lights slightly illuminating familiar faces of people whom you think look cool, but feel a bit nervous being in such close proximity of – and where else will you hear a surf rock band, an experimental rapper, and ambient artist all on the same lineup?
Theatre and the wider arts offer similar experiences, and their limitless art form can beautifully challenge your worldview. Think of the communal and interactive aspects of live art: musicians changing their set based on the vibe of the crowd, comedians altering the pacing of jokes on the fly or responding to hecklers. You just can’t get that from a podcast or Spotify. That is, if this art makes it to being disseminated online in the first place. For an artist to be able to afford online options, they usually have to start by making their money offline. That means having people show up for gigs. It’s just how artists big and small gain a following; if there’s no proof that there is an in-person market, it is unlikely that they will get bookings for larger gigs. Events like Fringe Festival are precisely how artists test the waters with new or experimental content.
We’re watching our most treasured venues drop like first-year Health-Sci students, and all we can do is post about it. It’s especially disheartening to watch as the music scene starts to mourn the music scene. Don’t you miss Dog With Two Tails (also RIP), who wanted to prevent becoming like Sammy’s (another RIP).
I do understand and empathise. You’re burnt out, disillusioned, and feel less into Dunners than your peers still seem to be. You don’t have the energy for your assignments, much less going out. However, convincing people shouldn’t feel like work for me, and more importantly, none of this should feel like work for you, either. Enjoying the arts should be the opposite of work.
It is valid you do not attend every gig that happens – and shit, I’m not asking you to – but now would be a great time to support some live art rather than hibernating in your flat. Maybe it’s because ‘supporting’ the arts has morphed into a whole brand of behaviour, rather than just enjoying something you’re interested in. Or maybe we both just need to get out more.
If you feel called out, good. If upset, you know how to prove me wrong! Running from the 14th to the 24th of March, the Fringe Festival boasts dozens of events at 31 venues across the city. If money is an issue, you’ll be happy to know that a lot of the events are koha or even free. Basically, it’s very hard to justify not going. To put it in economic terms for you Bcom students, Fringe is a low-input, high-reward experience to see new artists and new types of art, as well as to support venues near you. Fringe runs over a 10-day period, giving you plenty of time to get out of your comfort zone and see a new space that could become your favourite. You might even recognise a familiar student face in the lineup.
Throughout this tumultuous time, you have cried out, “Let’s save Dunedin venues! Let’s save Dunedin music! Let’s save Dunedin art!” You talk the talk, yet do not walk the walk - and that’s okay. But if you are going to continue talking, PLEASE talk about the Fringe Festival. Say how great it is and all the fun events you are going to – invite friends, flatmates, and family to go with you, and if you end up not feeling it that night, at least all those people you invited will be there. In your own special way, you’ll have helped save Dunedin venues, and I appreciate it deeply. The Dunedin art scene is where I have made some of my closest friends and created the most cherished memories, but you and I can only continue to do that if there is a place for us to all go. I implore you to go to these spaces so we can continue to create and celebrate art – we’ve spent long enough feeling bad about it. Let’s go enjoy it.