I don’t know about you, but blue-skied Canterbury days get us here at Cityscape thinking about the Dux de Lux – the simple pleasure of a cold local brew sipped in the bustling surrounds of the front terrace. Ahh, the good old days.
It may have seemed like the end of an era for the Christchurch live music scene, but Christchurch’s reputation as a hotbed for New Zealand musical talent is re-establishing itself with the opening of Dux Live. Yes, after months of anticipation, the Dux de Lux is back, reincarnated as a purpose-designed live music venue.
Many of the much-loved elements of the Dux de Lux are there for Dux-starved locals to revel in: locally brewed beers, pizzas and the classic laid-back and friendly Dux atmosphere. Like the original Dux de Lux, the new venue combines casual indoor and outdoor dining, a lounge and a late-night music venue.
Dux Live, however, is not merely a shadow of its former self – freed from the constraints of the former heritage setting (however much we did love it), the new spot in Lincoln Road has been designed from the outset as a top live music venue.
“Dux Live has been carefully designed and built – with everything from acoustic wall and ceiling linings to a new digital sound system – to deliver a great sound for music fans,” says Dux Live general manager Ross Herrick. “The size of the venue and standard of the set up has also meant we will be able to attract bigger acts, such as the Henry Rollins Spoken Word Tour, which we’ll be hosting soon.”
The new venue also has a much later licence (until 3am), which means it can host DJs for the club crowd – adding to the mix of original New Zealand and international music that the Dux is already famous for.
Dux Live is a very welcome new addition to the SOMO district – a precinct ‘South of Moorhouse’ encompassing the industrial-chic Addington and Sydenham – but if you’re still pining for the original, don’t stress. Mr Herrick stresses that although Dux Live is not a temporary set up, it’s also not a replacement for the Arts Centre venue: “We are still very committed to getting back to the Dux de Lux, and the Arts Centre Board and management have affirmed that there will always be a place for us in a rebuilt Arts Centre.”
We reckon it’s a recipe for the best of both worlds – a new live music venue the likes of which Christchurch hasn’t seen before and the promise of an old favourite to return one day down the track. Got to love the new Christchurch!
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