The Kiwi post-punk revival band's lead singer, Andrew Wilson (26), said he, like most other budding rock stars, started out in a school band.
As a 14-year-old, he played at Logan Park High School.
He recalled entering his first Rockquest competition and failing to grab the attention of the judges.
So the band started listening to other groups and organising their own concerts.
Wilson said the Dead Sea, the Clean and High Dependency Unit had been inspirational and instrumental in the development of his sound and style, and the atmosphere at school gave him the space to grow in his own direction.
"We weren't really into being rock stars. We just wanted to play."
A year later, the band won the Rockquest final and became well-known on the New Zealand music scene.
Yesterday, it was his turn to provide inspiration to budding musicians.
His advice to pupils was to "create your own gigs" by calling church halls, clubs, pubs, anyone who would listen, and ask to do concerts.
"Once you start doing that, you start building momentum and getting your name out there.
"Everyone thought we were [no good] when we first started.
"But we grew in Dunedin because it's a hub for free-thinking and new ideas.
"Some people didn't like our music, but others were very encouraging."
He has since recorded several albums with Die! Die! Die! and the band now has a following in the United States and Europe.
Wilson was one of about a dozen high-profile New Zealand musicians at King's High School yesterday as part of New Zealand Music Month to give about 130 pupils from Dunedin secondary schools workshops about songwriting, advice about how to become a professional musician, and what life is like in the industry.
