Anthonie Tonnon travels to Golden Bay to visit one of New Zealand's most desirable stages.
The Mussel Inn. Photo courtesy of The Mussel Inn. Photo: The Mussel Inn. Photo courtesy of The Mussel Inn.
In Golden Bay, there’s a venue that feels as rooted in place as the trees it was built from.
The Mussel Inn is 120km west of Nelson, in an area called Onekaka, but the closest thing to a township there is the venue itself.
The macrocarpa building could be mistaken for a 19th century colonial building or a 1950s tramping hut, but it was built at the start of the ‘90s by Jane and Andrew Dixon.
From small beginnings, the couple have gradually installed a PA system, lighting and flexible staging, and Andrew has taught himself to become the venue’s sound engineer.
The Dixons have gone on to become restaurateurs and award-winning brewers, and owners of one of the most desirable venues to play in New Zealand. For bands, there is a waiting list more than a year long to get a show.
The Mussel Inn is actually the house they started building for themselves before opening the bar. In summer it’s now mostly occupied by visiting bands, while the couple stay in a much simpler hut next door.
The Dixons have become well-known for their generous hospitality to musicians, who are well-fed and paid regardless of the turn out to their show, and put up in a luxurious log house a short stroll from the venue.
There’s a philosophical underpinning to the way Andrew and Jane approach music. The pair try to keep their taste from influencing the shows. They call themselves facilitators, whose job is not to curate but to ensure maximum enjoyment in the room.
They wouldn’t be drawn on the topic of their favourite gigs, but Jane left me with a story of a local character who embodied their philosophy.
“There was a man in our community some years ago who used to come to every gig. And he was so unbiased in his outlook ... he could see the expressions in people’s faces or the effort they were making to create the music or where they’d come from to be at The Mussel Inn.”
LISTEN to Anthonie Tonnon's story about The Mussel Inn for Music 101: