This November will see 1000 live music gigs around the state and Bulli publican Andy Bell couldn't be happier.
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The Heritage Hotel has been awarded a number of grants under the Great Southern Nights project to host live music during the month, which Mr Bell said would otherwise not be able to happen.
"It's renormalising our industry again after that hiatus, where for love nor money you couldn't go out and see any form of entertainment," he told the Mercury.
"Because we have a pub liquor licence [the capacity changes to entertainment venues last week] don't affect us unfortunately.
"We're still under the constraints of a 25 per cent capacity, so there's been inherent difficulties that come with that."
The concert series, by the NSW Government, the Australian Recording Industry Association plus other bodies, is to help the bounce-back of the live music, hospitality and tourism industries.
Not only are larger venues like Wollongong Town Hall included, but dozens of smaller venues too - like the Heritage, the Art Bar in Kiama, La La Las in Wollongong, and pubs on the South Coast.
For Waves in Towradgi, their allocated gigs will celebrate the reopening of the venue which has been closed since March - due to COVID-19 restrictions and a major renovation.
Venues needed to apply for the funding, which was allocated for staff and production costs, while a portion also given direct to the artists.
It means fixtures of the Australian music scene - Birds of Tokyo, Tim Freedman of the Whitlams, Tumbleweed - are on the lineup with emerging artists like TEES and Front End Loader.
"This is an extremely important moment for the Australian music industry," ARIA CEO Dan Rosen said.
"Great Southern Nights is an innovative and effective way of getting artists back on stages safely and ensuring money starts flowing back through the live-music ecosystem - to artists, venues, agents, tour managers and sound and lighting-crews."
The Illawarra will be treated to an array of talent throughout the month, including: Sarah Blasko, Merci Mercy, Tex Perkins, Jaguar Jonze, Bag Raiders, Chalkie White Band, Josh Pyke and more.
At the Heritage Hotel, they'll have a number of smaller events due to capacity limits: Nikka Costa, Beyond The Willows, Ray Beadle Band, Satin Cali, Hein Cooper and Vanderstruts.
Mr Bell said the next thing he'd love to see from the government was easing of restrictions for pubs and clubs, as their large bandroom is restricted to 55 people.
For the full list of gigs around the state, visit: www.greatsouthernnights.com.au
SOUTH COAST LINEUP
ART BAR KIAMA, KIAMA
- FRANK SULTANA AND BAND 29th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
CENTRO CBD, WOLLONGONG
- THE ELTON JACK SHOW 6th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- TEX PERKINS 12th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- STEVE BALBI 14th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- STEVE CLISBY + LAUREN DAWES 21st November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- VAN THE MAN 27th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- BABY ET LULU 28th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
DICEY RILEY'S, WOLLONGONG
- HOMESICK 5th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- PARTY DOZEN 7th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- EGOISM 12th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- MINI SKIRT 14th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- EAT YOUR HEART OUT 19th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- ARSE 21st November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- RADICALS 26th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- HORROR MY FRIEND 28th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
HEADLANDS HOTEL, AUSTINMER
- GOOD LEKKER + SAM ALLEN 27th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
HERITAGE HOTEL, BULLI
- BEYOND THE WILLOWS + VANDERSTRUTS 15th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- SATIN CALI 22nd November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- NIKKA COSTA + SUPPORT 26th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- RAY BEADLE BAND (MATINEE) 29th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- HEIN COOPER + SUPPORT (EVENING) 29th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
KIAMA INN HOTEL, KIAMA
- BEN GUNN + PACIFIC AVENUE 28th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
LA LA LA'S, WOLLONGONG
- E4444E 10th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- FRONT END LOADER 13th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- MERCI, MERCY 15th November @ 4:00 PM Get Tickets
- MERCI, MERCY 15th November @ 6:30 PM Get Tickets
- TEES 17th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- REDHOOK 18th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- THE HARD-ONS 22nd November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- THE NIGHTS 24th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- ENDLESS RECORDS LAUNCH W/100 27th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- THE NEW CHRISTS 28th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
THE BEACHES HOTEL, THIRROUL
- GUITARS.....OUT OF ISO FEAT. REX GOH, MARTIN CILLIA, PAUL WHEELER, ZOLTAN JOHN BUDAI & LINDSAY MCDOUGALL
8th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets - BIG TWISTY SUPPRTED BY THE TERRYS 27th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- GLENN BIDMEAD 29th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
THE MUSIC LOUNGE, WOLLONGONG
- EMMA PASK 20th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
THE OAKS HOTEL ALBION PARK RAIL, ALBION PARK RAIL
- DR FARQUHAR 28th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
TOWRADGI BEACH HOTEL & WAVES (WAVES), TOWRADGI
- THE CHALKIE WHITE BAND 21st November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
TUSK, WOLLONGONG
- SET MO 20th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
UOW UNIBAR, WOLLONGONG
- MADDY JANE 7th November @ 8:00 PM Get Tickets
- BADRAPPER + MADE BY TSUKI 8th November @ 7:00 PM
Get Tickets - TUMBLEWEED 15th November @ 3:00 PM Get Tickets
- TUMBLEWEED 15th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- HAYLEY MARY 19th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- JOSH PYKE 21st November @ 7:30 PM Get Tickets
- PHIL JAMIESON 22nd November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
UOW UNIBAR SMALL ROOM, WOLLONGONG
- BOOMCHILD 11th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- HOON 29th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
UOW UNIHALL, WOLLONGONG
- SARAH BLASKO 14th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- OCEAN ALLEY 20th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- BIRDS OF TOKYO 24th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- TROPHY EYES 26th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- BAG RAIDERS 29th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
WOLLONGONG CITY DIGGERS CLUB, WOLLONGONG
- JASON AND CHLOE ROWETH + PAT DRUMMOND 6th November @ 7:00 PM
Get Tickets - MICHAEL SIMIC (MICHELANGELO AND THE BALKAN ELVIS) LIVES + DEAR VIOLET THREE BULLI GIRLS 21st November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
WOLLONGONG TOWN HALL, WOLLONGONG
- TIM FREEDMAN 6th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- ELANA STONE AND LISA CARUSO 13th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets
- KYARNA ROSE AND MATTY WALKER 28th November @ 7:00 PM Get Tickets