Emerging talent: The Dukes

By Lauren Bartlett, April 22, 2007 @ 11 pm

Idealog May/June 2007, page 17. Photograph by Kloser Photography

When Christchurch band The Dukes decided they were in the music industry for the long haul, joining the Guinness World Records in mile-high style was not quite what they imagined. As Idealog arrives on newsstands they’re preparing to perform in an attempt at the world’s highest concert on a commercial passenger liner.

“It’s a really unusual situation,” says frontman Matt Barus. “The plans are still ‘up in the air’ but we will be opening for an ‘A-list’ band, somewhere between Auckland and Sydney.”

The Dukes are not jumping the ditch, though—they plan to remain based right here in Enzed. The Internet and corporate sponsorship highlights part of what Barus sees as the changing face of promoting music. “New Zealand has the capacity for bands to become successful internationally while remaining here, utilising the technology and publicity available, such as MySpace and YouTube,” says Barus.

And you heard them here first: long before their dulcet tones hit the web, we included The Dukes’ catchy single Mornin’ on the Independents Day CD of Kiwi music bundled with Idealog’s launch issue.

Last year the group opened for reformed rockers INXS and in March this year they won MTV’s Kickstart competition for unsigned local bands. Barus says the publicity is essential for gaining a greater groundswell of support. “We would have liked to make it the ‘old-fashioned’ way, but perhaps that’s just a romantic notion.”

The corporate sponsorship helps raise the profile but doesn’t dictate The Dukes’ music, he says. “Good music is honest. Bands seem to become really successful when they lose their pretentious shell.”