They’ll be accompanied by other artists from the Sure Shaker label: Boo Seeka, Lyall Moloney, Gold Member and guest DJs as a prelude to their national solo tour in March.

Drummer Jack Gray said it comes off the back of the biggest holiday break in a long time for the Sydney four-piece, though life lived constantly on the road does have its upsides.

“We’ve made friends on the road that we’ll pretty much have forever,” he said.

“Also we tour heaps regionally … people out there definitely need music as well and I’m more than happy to go play.

"I think you can make any town wild really, you’ve just got to turn up.”

Rather than calling Friday’s event a show, Gray said it was more a “live party” to hang out with like minded people.

“There's definitely a [chilled] vibe when you’re by the ocean, but in saying that a lot of people we know in Wollongong like to have a pretty wild night,” said Gray of the many musical mates they’ve formed friendships with, like Windang duo Hockey Dad.

“You’ve definitely got a lot of local legends down there … got a sick music scene, with some good stuff coming out of Wollongong.” 

Aside from having a great time, Bootleg Rascal will be sampling some of their new hip-hop infused tunes to the crowd ahead of their second album due later this year.

Gray said they’ve been working hard at it whilst on the road then frantically setting down tracks in the recording studio during their short visits home, drawing their inspiration from “different places, different people”.

Meanwhile, the group were set to support reggae fusion band Sticky Fingers on a US tour this year, but that opportunity is now up in the air.

Sticky Fingers announced they were on “indefinite hiatus” in December after frontman Dylan Frost was hit by controversy, allegedly involved in a violent tirade against singer Thelma Plum.

Gray said the Rascals were “frothing” to head back to America after a great response from a small slew of shows in early 2016 and were currently trying to find a way to make it viable.

“I don’t know if it was a blow, I think after touring for that long and the amount of shows over the space those guys have been doing it, I think everyone needs a bit of a break after a while, I totally get it,” he said.

Shake’n’Bake: featuring Bootleg Rascal, at Wollongong Uni Bar, Friday January 13. Tickets from www.moshtix.com.au