Eight Stellar Gigs Happening at Great Southern Nights — and the Best Spots to Grab a Meal Beforehand
Our picks for the best dinner-and-a-show combo you can line up during the epic Great Southern Nights program.
Eight Stellar Gigs Happening at Great Southern Nights — and the Best Spots to Grab a Meal Beforehand
Our picks for the best dinner-and-a-show combo you can line up during the epic Great Southern Nights program.
In 2020, the inaugural Great Southern Nights saw more than 1000 gigs take place across 300 NSW venues. This year it's coming back throughout March and April with a heap of live shows from artists both emerging and bonafide iconic. The diverse and far-reaching program features everyone from icons like Jimmy Barnes popping up in western Sydney through to smaller acts like hyped young R&B singer Liyah Knight headlining a night of local music and DJs at Zetland's 107 Projects.
We've picked out eight of our favourite gigs on the lineup including free block parties, Triple J favourites in oft-forgotten regional hubs, and inner-city Sydney dance parties. Top help you make the most of the Great Southern Nights 2022 program, we've also paired each gig with a set of nearby venues so you can book in a memorable pre-gig meal or post-show drink.
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Six albums into their career, Ball park Music have cemented themselves as one of most consistent and beloved Australian bands of the past two decades. Pulling from the infectious and heartfelt ballads of bands like Powderfinger and Crowded House, the Brisbane five piece never fail to produce catchy blends of pop and rock with a hint of self-aware humour. After treating Sydneysiders to one of their first post-COVID sets during Summer in the Domain, the band is returning to NSW on Friday, March 25. This time, they’re popping up in regional hub Bathurst for a one-off set at Charles Sturt University.
If you’re making the journey out to Bathurst to catch the group, check out our guide to an autumn weekend in Bathurst. If you want to tuck into a Southern-style feast before the gig, head to Dogwood, BX for burgers, smoked rib croquettes and fried chicken, or opt for a tradition pub feed at gastropub The George Hotel. Helmed by Executive Head Chef Matthew Hayden, the kitchen serves up sophisticated takes on classic pub fare. For a post-gig tipple head to local institution The Victoria which is open until 11pm on weekends.
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Hip-hop fans listen up, an intimate show from Briggs and his Bad Apple Music label is coming to The Lair inside the CBD’s Metro Theatre on Thursday, April 7. Billed as Briggs, Nooky and friends, expect memorable sets from the two trailblazing MCs as well as a bunch of surprise guests.
Through his career, Briggs has been a vocal voice in the fight of First Nations people in Australia through his music — both solo and with A.B. Original — his writing and his comedy. A newer voice in the hip-hop community, Nooky’s list of achievements is already long and impressive. Alongside his hard-hitting EP Lyrebird Par released at the end of last year, he’s also the host of Triple J’s Blak Out and the founder of Indigenous social enterprise We Are Warriors.
Located in the heart of the CBD, The Lair has plenty of options for both pre and post-show activities. Chinatown is just down the road, opening the door for a heap of top-notch feeds. Head to Mamak for a Malaysian feast or nab a banquet of barbecue at Kogi Korean BBQ. If you’re looking for a watering hole to grab a cocktail, head towards the YCK precinct and stop off at Since I Left You.
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Courtney Barnett has amassed a far-reaching international fanbase thanks to her endlessly earnest and relatable brand of indie-folk. With three solo albums, a Kurt Vile collaborative LP, a nomination for Best New Artist at the Grammys and spots on just about every major music festival across the globe, Barnett is set to make a triumphant return to Sydney stages in support of her most assured album to date, Things Take Time, Take Time. You can catch Courtney and her band take to the stage at the newly renovated Enmore Theatre with support from Alice Skye.
Enmore Road is a hub for fantastic restaurants. Stand out front of the theatre, close your eyes and point your finger and odds are you’ll be directed towards a tasty meal. Our picks are charitable Sri Lankan eatery Colombo Social or renowned Egyptian restaurant Cairo Takeaway. For a cold beer, head to another newly renovated venue, The Duke of Enmore, where you’re likely to catch even more live music while you’re at it.
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Brisbane rockers DZ Deathrays are making their way to Gosford for a night of big riffs and earworm choruses. Expect to hear tracks from across the band’s catalogue, with the trio celebrating their double album Positivity Rising that was dropped in two parts, three years apart from one an other, as well as the ten-year anniversary of their beloved debut album Bloodstreams. Sharing the stage with the group at Drifter’s Wharf will be fast-rising Queensland rapper and producer Nerve of the back of his blistering feature on DZ Deathray’s Like a Version last year.
The Central Coast is an underrated hospitality hub and we’ve put together a foodie’s guide to the area. Head to Tropicana Pizza Pizza in Woy Woy or Motel Mezza Social Bar in Wyong beforehand, and if you’re making the trip out from elsewhere to stay the night, be sure to bee-line for South End Social the next day for your morning coffee.
Image: Sam Charlton
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Off the back of his new EP Gratitude Over Pity, exciting young Gomeroi rapper Kobie Dee is setting of on a free Gomeroi Nation tour across regional NSW. The run of show is concluding in Moree for a huge block party. The gig will be taking over SHAE Academy boasting a lineup full of groundbreaking young hip-hop acts.
Joining Kobie Dee will be western Sydney trio Triple One; longstanding Sydney MC NTER; and hard-hitting Yuin and Thunghutti rapper and host of Triple J’s Blak Out, Nooky, with more to be announced. The Block Party is all ages and is a drug and alcohol free event. It’s sure to fill up quickly so be sure to get down early whether you’re a local or you’re travelling in from the big city.
Morree’s a small town with your typical slate of regional cuisine options. Drive into town and you’re sure to find something that tickles your fancy, whether that’s at the local pub, Indian restaurant or more up-market Explorers Restaurant attached to the Burke and Wills Motor Inn.
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After a run of shows across the country in support of their latest album Today We’re The Greatest, Middle Kids are bringing their anthemic tunes to Byron Bay’s Beach Hotel. Produced by St Vincent collaborator Lars Stalfors and scoring the band an ARIA nomination for Best Rock Album and international talk-show appearances, the album is full of life affirming songs that set the tone for big post-lockdown moments.
Byron Bay fans will be able to catch the trio performing songs from both Today We’re the Greatest and their debut album Lost Friends. Best of all, entry is free to the gig, so all you have to do is rock up early to make sure you nab a spot in the venue.
Byron Bay is awash in high-quality dining options, however if you’re heading to the northern NSW town there are two brand new openings that should be top of your list. The first is Daughter in Law, a new eatery from Jessi Singh who run’s Melbourne’s restaurant of the same name. Opened mid-last year, the Fletcher Street venue offers up a seafood-heavy Indian menu. The second exciting new offering is the latest from Maurice Terzini. Belongil Beach Italian Food brings Terzini’s signiture style and love of Italian cuisine to Byron with fresh sliced charcuterie and menu highlights like a Moreton Bay Bug roll.
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One gig that’s not to be missed for any fan of raves, doofs or any form of packed dance floor is Partiboi69. An enigma of the electronic music scene, the Melbourne producer and DJ has built a global following through his high energy and meme-heavy dance music and live shows. Leaning into the absurdity of the online world, his sets are filled mix tongue-in-cheek and juvenile humour with hard-hitting trance, drum and bass and house music.
Your opportunity to catch tracks like ‘Always Keep It 69’ and ‘Magnificent’ will be at the UNSW Roundhouse on Saturday, March 26 with Berlin’s Sally C warming up the crowd on the final stop of her Australian tour.
If you’re heading along, make sure to look through our must-visit spots in Randwick. The obvious choice for a post-dance meal is a sharable feed and a couple beers at Chat Thai’s Randwick outpost. Just make sure you don’t feast too hard and compromise your abilities on the dance floor.
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With The Lansdowne‘s live music room set to close down next month to make room for hostel rooms, any chance to visit the iconic venue should be relished. One of the final gigs scheduled for the hallowed stage is local pop singer-songwriter Thandi Phoenix who will be performing at the Chippendale venue on Saturday, March 26 as part of Great Southern Nights.
Phoenix has carved out her name as one of Australia’s top dance pop exports through her powerhouse vocals and collaborations with the likes of Rudimental and Sigma. Last year, she blessed us with ‘Overdrive’, a huge club-ready track produced by Sydney dance legend Paul Mac. In support are the equally talented Rissa performing her spellbinding blends of pop and neo-soul, and local DJ Nes.
The Lansdowne boasts its own beloved menu of burgers from the team at Mary’s so there’s no need to seek out anywhere else for your dinner. If you’re looking to make a night of the show, the new Ricos Tacos is just 10 minutes walk from the venue, or Kensington Street’s fine diner Olio or excellent Korean joint Jung Sung are just down the main road.
Image: Tim Carrafa
Top image: Destination NSW
