Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich was one of 35,000 super fans who turned out to see Pink at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Photo: Facebook
A new music festival for Dunedin has been floated by the mayor as a way to showcase the musical output of the southern city.
Following the death of the Chills' Martin Phillipps, an integral player in the Dunedin sound, Jules Radich has suggested an annual music festival called Dunedin Sounds to keep the culture alive and support the city's modern music scene.
Radich told Morning Report that he would like to see an ongoing annual festival in the city that celebrates the old as well as the new.
Dunedin mayor suggests Dunedin Sound festival for city
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"The name Dunedin Sounds, is derived from the Dunedin sound, but by putting the 's' on the end leaves it open to any form of music whatsoever."
A man who was at the centre of the Dunedin sound in the 1980s as the bassist for the Clean and the lead singer of the Bats, Robert Scott, agrees with Radich that for the festival to work the invitation needs to extend beyond bands synonymous with the jangling guitars of the 1980s.
"I don't think you can just have a festival of the old bands, because that's kind of limiting.
"You do have to include the new stuff. The term the 'Dunedin sound' is loosely interpreted. I think you have to have progress and include new bands," Scott said.
Radich said he shared the idea in a public workshop where councillors were brainstorming and discussing events and festivals in Dunedin.
"It's an idea that I've been percolating over for a wee while and have talked to people around the city about it."
Radich was hoping to have the festival up and running in a year to eighteen months.
"I don't think we start with a huge festival. I think we start with a small festival and build it up from there."
Scott believes a festival supported and promoted by the Dunedin City Council will have more chance of success, and it would be a great thing for promoting the arts scene in Dunedin.
"Anything that can attract people to Dunedin for any kind of arts-based thing is good."
Scott also provided assurances that the Bats would be open to playing such a festival should the idea get off the ground.