2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Band set to make noise in China
Members of Dunedin band Dale Kerrigan (from left) Josh Nicholls, Joel Field, Connor Blackie and Shlee Nicholls will embark on an 11-show tour across China next month. Photo: supplied
Getting their lyrics vetted by the Chinese government was among the hurdles a Dunedin band faced in taking their music to the global stage.
Noise rock four-piece Dale Kerrigan announced last week they would be embarking on an 11-show tour across China in September and October — including in Shanghai, Chongqing and two shows in Chengdu.
Guitarist Joel Field said he had never been to China before, and still did not know what he was in for.
"My small New Zealand brain cannot comprehend how big and complicated these cities are going to be."
The tour had been about a year in the making.
An overseas promoter contacted the band after watching them perform at last year's Camp A Low Hum music festival.
Planning the tour had involved "far more organisation than Dale Kerrigan can handle, to be honest", he said.
"At the time, I didn't even have a passport, so we got on to that super quick.
"We had to apply for permits, so we sent in all of our lyrics to get them approved by the Chinese Communist Party and make sure they were all good, and they were."
They also sent in videos of them performing all their songs before they could apply for visas, but discovered two members of the band were not actually permanent New Zealand citizens.
"So the whole process to get all of our proper documentation together has been quite a nightmare, but it's going well now."
The tour marked the international debut of the Dunedin band.
Formed in 2020, Field said their music was influenced by 1990s acts such as Sonic Youth, as well as contemporary New Zealand bands such as Ringlets.
Their third record HEAVY GREASY was released last month exclusively on Bandcamp.
Every band fantasised about going on an international tour, the expectation in New Zealand being this would happen in Australia first, he said.
Their music was "very hectic", "extremely loud" and "in your face".
"I know there's heaps of people in China, so surely some of them like it."
He hoped to "turn some people right off" but that other audience members would be "real keen" on their music.
"I reckon there's going to be some people standing in the back, still very confused at what we're doing, but I think there'll be some people up front running around and headbanging."
