Eight Live Gigs Worthy of a Road Trip Around NSW This November
Chair-dance from country to coast this spring.
Eight Live Gigs Worthy of a Road Trip Around NSW This November
in partnership with
Chair-dance from country to coast this spring.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced artists and musicians to come up with even more innovative ways to make money, as well as keep us beloved fans entertained. Despite all the live-stream festivals, fun merch and unexpected new albums, though, there is no substitute for seeing your favourite bands and solo performers in the flesh — even if we can't all be crammed shoulder-to-shoulder in a sweaty venue for the foreseeable future. Enter Great Southern Nights, the NSW Government-led initiative aiming to kick-start the live music industry by putting on 1000 COVID-Safe gigs across the state this November. Sydney might be the state capital, but that doesn't mean it's where all the action is. With summer fast approaching and no prospect of international travel on the horizon, there's no better time to explore our own backyard. We've partnered with NSW Government to bring you eight gigs we think are worthy of a road trip. So, load up your bags, put on your ultimate playlist and hit the road.
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The Baroque Room is one of the multiple venues located within Blue Mountains institution The Carrington Hotel. Soon, it will play host to Ngaiire. The singer is undoubtedly a creative force of nature, as well as the first Papua New Guinean to feature in Triple J’s Hottest 100. Ngaiire has a unique brand of R&B and neo soul, which has seen her tour alongside acts as diverse as Flume and Alicia Keys. Her live performances are renowned for their theatricality, attention-grabbing costumes and incredible vocals — it’s no exaggeration to say the mountains won’t know what’s hit them this spring. So much so, there’s already a waitlist going.
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Now in their fourth decade, Novocastrian stalwarts The Screaming Jets, also widely-known as ‘the last great Aussie Pub Rock band’, are bringing their much-loved brand of hard rock back to the masses. Led, as they have been since the band’s formation in 1989, by frontman Dave ‘Gleeso’ Gleeson, the group spent their time in lockdown reworking and rerecording five of their most iconic tracks, including ‘Shivers’ and ‘Helping Hand’, and releasing the new versions as a new EP entitled Bitter Pill. You can head to either a homecoming show at The Camberidge Hotel, lovingly known as The Cambo, on Friday, November 27, or a beachside performance in Towradgi on Saturday, November 28. Or, if you’re a real Jets tragic, why not both?
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It’s been 17 years since Shannon Noll was robbed of the inaugural Australian Idol title — what else is there to say about the man? He’s had ten consecutive top ten singles, his work has received 17 separate platinum certifications and his track ‘Lift’ was the most performed Australian song of 2007. Everybody knows Nollsy has a huge following wherever he goes. Whether shown by his popularity on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, or the fact he’s seemingly spending the entire month of November touring every regional venue in the state he possibly can, from country NSW to the coast. A bunch of his gigs already sold out, so if you want to see the Aussie legend — ironically or not — head over here for details.
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Teen singer-songwriter Budjerah is practically going from one end of the state to the other this November, starting in Lismore near the Queensland border and heading right down to Tumut in the Snowy Mountains. You may know him from an appearance on last year’s The Voice, but the youngster from Northern NSW spot Fingal Head has made great strides since then, signing to the same management company as national heavyweights Tash Sultana and Tones & I. So, jump at the chance to see the Coodjinburra artist at these intimate performances before he inevitably makes it big. He’s performing at Lismore City Hall on Saturday, November 14 for $40 a pop — you can get your tickets here. Otherwise you can head to Tumut River Brewing Co. on Sunday, November 29 and catch him for free. You’ll still need to book your spot, though, which you can do over here.
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A fixture in the historic mining town for over a century, the Broken Hill Musicians Club will play host to Adelaide’s finest tribute act for one night only. The Flaming Sambucas have been playing around Australia — and the world — since 1991 and have a range of setlists up their sleeves, from Elton John to Lady Gaga. For this show, they’ll be busting out the hits you know and love from everybody’s favourite Swedish supergroup. There’ll be ‘Dancing Queen’, there’ll be wigs, there’ll be costumes and — consider yourself forewarned — there will certainly be audience participation. Expect this slice of NSW outback to transform into a riot of sing-alongs and glittering disco balls. Best of all, the gig’s free — you’ve just go to get there.
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He may be best known as the frontman of Thirsty Merc (and writer of the Bondi Rescue theme song), but Rai Thistlethwayte is something of a musical polymath. He’s been writing and performing tunes since the age of 15 and attended the prestigious Sydney Conservatorium of Music. As well as his songwriting and singing talents, he plays the piano and guitar. In his career he’s performed as a solo artist, as part of numerous jazz combos, as a member of the session group on The Voice and as a keyboardist for American rock god Joe Satriani’s touring band. That’s not to mention his stints as a teacher and mentor at APRA’s annual songwriting conference. It’s fair to say Rai knows what he’s doing — and anyone lucky enough to catch him this month is in for a tour de force of top-quality musicianship.
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Brisbane rock five-piece Waax have been steadily gaining a following over the past few years. This month, they’re set to cross the border for a gig in Byron as part of the NSW Government initiative. They’ll be playing at The Northern, situated right in the centre of Byron Bay and just a few minutes’ walk from its famous Main Beach. Not that you’ll be thinking of the surf when Waax lets rip with their take on alternative post-punk. Likened in the past to acts such as Siouxsie and the Banshees and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, their debut album, Big Grief — incidentally recorded in Byron Bay — just fell short of a place in the Top 10 last year.
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Released just as the COVID-19 lockdown began, Fallow, the third album by country singer-songwriter Fanny Lumsden, has been her most successful album yet. Deprived of the opportunity to tour her record immediately after it came out, Lumsden is now playing some of NSW’s smaller towns, plus Sydney and the state’s home of country music, Tamworth. The fiercely independent artist manages herself and has her own record label and production company. Basically, she is a musical force to be reckoned with, so get set for an evening of energy, intimate storytelling and spellbinding harmonies.
Great Southern Nights will see 1000 live gigs across NSW venues throughout November. Tickets are on sale now and you can check out what’s on — and buy tickets — through the Great Southern Nights gig guide.
Top image: Waax by Bec Taylor
For the latest info on NSW border restrictions, head here. If travelling from Queensland or Victoria, check out Queensland Health and DHHS websites, respectively.
