Playing for Sir Dave Dobbyn’s 70th birthday bash at the Coroglen Tavern on January 3 carries more sentiment for Kiwi musician Sam Cullen than a debut album or major festival slot, RNZ reported.
Cullen said he has “never been so grateful to have a gig in my life,” noting that Dave Dobbyn is his “No.1 forever.” The milestone birthday performance follows Dobbyn’s Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 2022 and marks a full-circle moment for the young artist, who attended his first-ever concert as a child watching Dobbyn in Invercargill.
Sam Cullen Performs at Sir Dave Dobbyn's 70th Birthday
- Sam Cullen will perform at Sir Dave Dobbyn’s 70th birthday celebration at the Coroglen Tavern on January 3.
- The invitation eclipses festival appearances like Rhythm and Vines and the upcoming Electric Avenue event in February.
- Cullen’s early musical education was forged playing four-hour sets in regional Invercargill pubs and rugby clubrooms as a teenager.
From Invercargill Pubs to Jazz School
Growing up in Invercargill, Cullen kick-started his music career as a teenager by playing in local pubs and rugby clubrooms. He previously played rugby at those exact same clubrooms before trading the sport for a guitar.
“I probably attest a lot of what I can do now to that more than university in some ways,” Cullen told RNZ’s Music 101. “Being 15 and having to navigate the pub for four hours at a time on your own, and deal with a crack-up pub manager… regional New Zealand at its finest.”
Those formative years in regional venues directly inspired tracks like ‘The Clubrooms’ off his debut album. He also leaned heavily into the ‘sad bangers’ of the 1980s while crafting new material, showcasing his brand new single ‘Oh So Lonely’ live in the RNZ studio alongside bandmates James Mack on guitar and vocals, Jamie Hannah on drums, and Nepia Ruwhiu on bass guitar and vocals.
Following his regional upbringing, Cullen moved north to study at the Wellington jazz school. After three years of formal study, he admitted he does not “want to play jazz for a very long time” before relocating permanently to Auckland.
Cullen Recalls Childhood Connection to Dave Dobbyn
While Cullen has found recent commercial footing playing major summer festivals, the invitation to celebrate Dobbyn’s 70th stands entirely apart from standard tour routing.
“There’s this photo of me and Dave Dobbyn, I’m 10, he’s just played in Invercargill,” Cullen told RNZ. “I probably don’t know if I’ll ever get my head around that gig, I’ve kind of got my head around Electric Ave… like he’s my No.1 forever.”
| Event / Venue | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Dave Dobbyn’s 70th Birthday | Coroglen Tavern | January 3 |
| Electric Avenue Festival | Christchurch | February |
The January 3 performance precedes Cullen’s appearance at the Electric Avenue festival in February, rounding out a schedule for the rising alt-pop artist and his band.
