The Dukes Do Us Proud in Trans Trasman Showdown

March 30, 2007 Auckland New Zealand

Media Release

New Zealand Kickstart Winners the Dukes Do Us Proud in the Trans Tasman Kickstart Show-Down!

Auckland, 30 March 2007 – MTV today announced that thousands of votes saw New Zealand Kickstart winners the Dukes beat off strong Australian competition from Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Sydney in the Trans Tasman Kickstart showdown with the band being narrowly piped at the post for the grand prize by Queensland’s Yves Klein Blue.

While narrowly missing out on the Australasian grand prize New Zealand winners the Dukes will still get a ‘kick start’ with MTV New Zealand, including a performance on the worlds first MTV Mile High Gig en route to the MTV Australia Video Music Awards, a professionally shot film clip produced by MTV, air play on MTV and introduction to A&R executives.

‘MTV New Zealand is 100% committed to support the Dukes both now and in the future’ says Stefan Chapman, MTV programmer and Kickstart judge. ‘Their performance on the MTV Mile High Gig will be a perfect opportunity to showcase them as one of New Zealand’s finest up and coming act’s.

The initiative set up by MTV and supported by amplifier.co.nz, 95bFM and the Groove Guide, will literally help aspiring and independent artists get a ‘Kickstart’ in the industry by giving them all the tools necessary to break into the music world on a local and international platform via the 2007 MTV Australia Video Music Awards, presented by Aero and Air New Zealand, due to air Friday, May 4.

Watch the Duke’s performance on the MTV Mile High Gig on MTV Friday May 11 at 4pm, channel 60 SKY digital

ENDS

About MTV New Zealand: MTV NZ is a 24-hour music and entertainment channel targeting 15 -29 year olds on SKY Digital channel 60 and SKY Mobile TV on Vodafone. Visit www.mtv.co.nz for more details.

About MTV Networks International: MTV Networks International includes the premier multimedia entertainment brands MTV: Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Flux, Comedy Central, Paramount Comedy, Game One and IFILM. MTV Networks' brands are seen in 508.0 million households in 161 countries and 32 languages via more than 130 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 200 digital media properties. The company's diverse holdings also include interests in television syndication, digital media, publishing, home video, radio, recorded music, licensing & merchandising and two feature film divisions, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. MTV Networks is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

About Dukes: Dukes hail from Christchurch and play rock’n'rhythm that gets people up and dancing badly. They like to think of it as brown sugar music. Formed in 2003, the band began touring immediately and in May 2005 released their debut album 'Lil’ Sunshine'. With their sophomore LP out later this year, Dukes enter April adding keys to the newly formed 5-piece band and support their independent single release 'Always Forever', off the upcoming album. Dukes are… Matt and Jo Barus, Brad 'The Kid' Banks, Fausia Fialele and Lauren Mitchell

About Amplifier.co.nz: Amplifier is the home of New Zealand music. They're the only place you'll ever need to go to learn about NZ music, catch up on New Zealand music news, listen to your favourite kiwi musicians, watch NZ music videos and purchase CDs and legal MP3 music downloads by kiwi artists. Amplifier.co.nz started in 1999 and is the longest running legal music download site in New Zealand. Some of the artists that have been with them since the early days include Scribe, P-Money, Fat Freddy's Drop, Goodnight Nurse, Fast Crew, Goldenhorse, Steriogram and The Datsuns. Amplifier.co.nz is also a member of Independent Music New Zealand, an organisation dedicated to representing the indie record labels of NZ.

About Groove Guide: Groove Guide is, and has been for 3 years, New Zealand's most comprehensive and readily accessible music and entertainment street press. A whopping 10,000 are printed and distributed throughout the country every single week. Served up hot in every issue you'll find music reviews and interviews with local and international acts, the week's best album releases, live gig photos, competitions and giveaways, a massive tours & events section and of course the best damn nationwide gig guide you'll find anywhere!The Groove Guide provides direct and credible communication with an audience renowned for its cynicism, yet voracious in its consumption of media which speaks it’s own language, providing up-to-date, vital lifestyle information and content, in a distinctly New Zealand voice. A concise (but highly charged and dedicated) team assemble what some may claim to be a small miracle each week, from the central Auckland offices of Real Groovy Records.

About 95bFM: In 1969 when students did crazy stuff, radio Bosom was born as a capping stunt. It was set up in a boat – which ran aground somewhere in Auckland's Waitemata harbour – and broadcast illegally on speakers around the Auckland University student union. Over the next few decades the Bosom morphed into the mighty 95bFM, a sizzling casserole of New Zealand music, news and views. 95bFM has independent news and interviews, weekdays on the Wire at midday. This is brought to you, the people, by volunteer staff who research the news and ask the questions that cut through the rhetoric. What you get is information you won't hear anywhere else, delivered in a style that doesn't patronise. 95bFM offers listeners a shelter from the harshness of mainstream (crap) radio. The ads are fuckin' funny and the attitude is real. It's the voice of the little guy or gal and the loudhailer of people who simply love good music. Give it a go. And not just once.

© Scoop Media