The little band that could, does it again

By GRAHAM REID

The little band that could - and did - was the big winner at last night's annual New Zealand music industry awards, the Tuis, held at the Aotea Centre.

The Datsuns, out of Cambridge, who have taken their brand of garage rock across Europe and the United States, picked up four awards: album of the year, best group, outstanding international achievement and breakthrough artist of the year.

The four, who met at school, have been playing their brand of power-pop and gritty rock for more than seven years, largely below the radar of public acceptance, until they took themselves to Europe and started touring relentlessly.

Their physical performances and short, snappy songs, captured a growing audience and they were hailed by the British media and influential figures such as London DJ John Peel. This year they won the best live band award at the NME awards in London.

After a bidding war the band were snapped up by Richard Branson's V2 label for an apparently unprecedented sum for an unknown group. Not bad for a band which rose from smokefreerockquest to the world stage with very little help.

Guitarist Phil Datsun, accepting one of the band's many awards said: "We'd like to thank those few people who came and saw us in New Zealand, who understood what it was about before people overseas."

The other big winners last night were Bic Runga (best female vocalist, best solo artist and highest selling album) and Auckland band Goodshirt, who last year won the top new act award and this year took out single of the year and songwriter of the year for their song Sophie.

Goodshirt member Gareth Thomas said: "I'd like to thank my girlfriend Emma for coming to all the gigs and hearing me sing about this Sophie girl."

Che Fu won best male vocalist and best urban album went to Nesian Mystik for Polysaturated, and the band also won the publicly voted People's Choice Award. Salmonella Dub took best dance album for their remix album Outside the Dub Plates, and the Maori-language remix album of Upper Hutt Posse won best mana Maori album.

A lifetime achievement award went to the late broadcaster Dylan Taite.

THE WINNERS

Album of the Year: The Datsuns - The Datsuns.


Single of the Year: goodshirt - Sophie.


Best Group: The Datsuns - The Datsuns.


Best Solo Artist: Bic Runga - Beautiful Collision.


Best Male Vocalist: Che Fu - Misty Frequencies.


Best Female Vocalist: Bic Runga - Beautiful Collision.


Breakthrough Artist of the Year: The Datsuns - The Datsuns.


Songwriter of the Year: goodshirt - Sophie.


Highest-selling NZ Album: Bic Runga - Beautiful Collision.


Highest-selling NZ Single: Katchafire - Giddy Up.


Best Urban Album: Nesian Mystik - Polysaturated.


Best Dance Album: Salmonella Dub - Outside the Dubplates.


Best Roots Music Album: Trinity Roots - True.


Best Jazz Album: Kevin Clark - Once Upon a Song I Flew.


Best Classical Album: New Zealand Symphony Orchestra - Douglas Lilburn: The Three Symphonies.


Best Mana Reo Album: Ngahiwi Apanui - E Tau Nei.


Best Mana Maori Album: Upper Hutt Posse - Te Reo Maori Remixes.


Best Pacific Island Album: Pacific Soul - Pacific Soul.


International Achievement: The Datsuns.


People's Choice: Nesian Mystik