The NSW Government is poised to deliver a month of live Covid-safe gigs through its newest event, Great Southern Nights.
Delivered in partnership between Destination NSW and the Australian Recording Industry Association to stimulate the state’s live music, tourism and hospitality industries, Great Southern Nights will see 1,000 Aussie acts take to stages across the state throughout November, which is Australian Music Month.
Twenty three of those gigs are slotted for the Central Coast, with big names like Josh Pyke and Matt McHugh heading to the North, along with local folk pop darlings, Little Quirks.
Indie-folk outfit, Sons Of The East, will kick off Great Southern Nights for Northerners, with the Northern Beaches trio of Dan Wallage, Nic Johnston and Jack Rollins, one of the bigger acts to grace the local line up.
Keen to get back to what they do best, Rollins said the pandemic had been a cultural reset for the band and believes that the initiative could spell big things for live music in NSW.
“We started the band so we could play live music, so we’re stoked to be getting back into it.
“Great Southern Nights is a great way to welcome back live music and we’re thrilled to be part of it.
“There’s some huge names on the bill and it’s all just very cool, very exciting and hopefully a promise of what’s to come,” Rollins said.
Having had to ditch projects in Europe and the United States because of Covid, Rollins said the band had spent their newfound downtime in the studio, meaning locals could be in for a debut or two come November.
“We’ve used the past couple months to work on some new music, but honestly it just feels like we’ve been sitting around on our arses for the past couple of months, so we can’t wait to get back in front of the masses.”
And with the boys set to drop their newest single ‘You Might Think’ at the end of October, it’s likely that the Coast will catch the first live performance of the track at Great Southern Nights.
“This’ll be the first song we’ve released in a year and we can’t wait to bring it the Coast,” Rollins said.
Likewise, Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, is also excited.
“It’s so exciting that big name artists like Bag Raiders, Kate Ceberano, Sons Of The East, Shane Nicholson and Ninajirachi will be performing on the Coast in a few weeks’ time,” Crouch said.
“Our community has been confronted with the triple whammy of fires, floods and COVID-19 this year, so these events will be a fantastic morale booster.
“This will also encourage locals and visitors to get out and explore restaurants, cafes, bars and shops across the Coast,” he added.
The month long program will culminate in the 2020 ARIA Awards, with ARIA CEO, Dan Rosen, labelling Great Southern Nights an unparalleled Australian music event.
“This event is innovative, gives back directly to artists and venues and is the only of its kind ever undertaken in this country.
“This is an important moment for the Australian music industry and we can’t wait to see the shows getting underway,” Rosen said.
In the North the program kicks off on November 13, with Sons Of The East at The Entrance Leagues Club, Bateau Bay.
Dilon Luke