March is going to be an action-packed month for Dunedin music-lovers, with some of the world's biggest names in alternative music playing at Port Chalmers bar, Chick's Hotel.
Among the four international acts playing at the venue next month are Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Malkmus is best known as the lead singer and guitarist of United States indie rock band Pavement - and J Mascis, of Dinosaur Jr fame, and ranked by Rolling Stone as the 86th-greatest guitarist of all time.
Chick's Hotel, built in 1876 and once a watering hole for visiting seamen, has become a refuge for Dunedin music fans since it reopened in 2008.
Mike McLeod, who took over the bar with a group of Dunedin musicians in 2012, said this year was shaping up as Chick's busiest since it reopened.
Malkmus and Mascis were among the biggest names of 1990s alternative music and the other two international acts coming, rock band Parquet Courts and singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten, were quickly becoming the big names of this generation.
The venue's success in attracting such acts was down to several factors, including the quality of its equipment, its growing reputation and Dunedin's musical history, he said.
''We have got a rich history in Dunedin of being a music-making city and ... that's definitely a drawcard.''
An example was Malkmus, who was a ''big fan'' of Dunedin music and had a relationship with ''Dunedin sound'' bands.
''We have also taken a few risks in fronting up money and buying shows, because they are acts for sale and I think maybe other venues have been a bit shy [paying up].''
Running the music venue had not been easy and sacrifices had been made along the way.
''If you broke down my hourly wage, it would probably be a lot less than the minimum wage. It's been a really hard first two years and we have just sort of scraped through, but things are getting easier.''
He hoped bringing the acts added something to the city.
''I don't want to blow my own trumpet too much, but hopefully it is making people's lives better if they don't have to travel to Wellington or Auckland to see some of these acts.''
What's on
March 1: J Mascis (sold out)
March 10 and 11: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
March 12: Parquet Courts
March 15: Sharon Van Etten
Tickets available at www.undertheradar.co.nz
