[The latest on Local Music ] with Jannah Fahiz.

Hello! Jannah here. I’m excited to be writing my first local column since Ruth O’Brien has decided to pursue other exciting things. Ruth has been telling us the ins and outs of what’s happening in Canberra for quite some time now, so I have big shoes to fill. No pressure! 

I wish Ruth all the very best. And now, let me present to you some cool things coming up in this fine region of ours.

If you’re looking for a night full of top tier pop-punk music from Canberra and Sydney bands, then look no further. Burntout Bookings presents Bad Lunar, The Polymics, Parrots with Piercings, and 51st Avenue.

What’s the occasion? To play nothing but good tunes for you! These bands each put their own spin on the pop-punk genre and will blow you away. This gig is taking place on Friday, 12 May from 7pm at The Basement. Tickets are $20 and are available from Oztix. 

Speaking of our beloved former columnist, Ruth O’Brien is releasing her highly anticipated second EP, Songs For Abby, and is hosting a launch at The Street Theatre. The songs are a comedic, lovefelt, and light-hearted dedication to her cats, Abby and Monti. So if you also have a cat in your family, you’ll love this show. 

Ruth’s second EP was funded by an artsACT Homefront Grant in 2020, which means that these four acoustic love songs were written and recorded here in Canberra. Opening the night will be another well-loved local talent, Xandrella (aka Ally Cowell). The show will take place on Saturday, 13 May from 7:30pm. All ages tickets are $35 (concession/student prices options too) and are available on The Street Theatre’s website.

Happening just over our border in Queanbeyan, multi-award winning musicians Luke O’Shea and Lyn Bowtell will be performing their country hits at the Royal Hotel Queanbeyan as part of their Love and Laughter tour. This was all supposed to happen in 2020, but we all know how things went down (thanks COVID!). So they’re very excited to be on the road again performing. 

For those that aren’t sure what to expect, Luke describes himself as “somewhere between Midnight Oil & John Williamson”, while Lyn has “influences reaching from pure country to blues, jazz, and pop”. 

Catch this dynamic duo on Thursday, 18 May from 7pm. Tickets are $34.70 and are on sale at Oztix. 

On Thursday, 25 May, AYA YVES will be doing a hometown show at UC Hub as part of her serotonin & forget me nots EP tour. The show kicks off at 7:30pm and the vibe is dark alt-pop mixed with indie electronica. This brand new EP is a very intimate piece of art diving into grief and other personal themes in AYA YVES’ life. See her perform these tracks live along with some amazing support acts TBA. Tickets are available on Moshtix for $28.38.

Canberra music legend Jack Biilmann is going on tour with his band The Black Tide to celebrate the release of his fourth album Divided Mind.  He will be stopping in Canberra on Friday, 16 June from 7pm at The Basement to perform his brand new songs for you. You can expect to hear that perfect blend of blues, folk, and country. 

What’s more, the support acts will be some of the finest locals on the scene; Hope Wilkins, The Burley Griffin and Toby Morwitch (smartcasual). Earlybird tickets are available now for $15 (otherwise $25) via the Oztix website.

And that’s that, everyone! It’s been my pleasure to tell you about the hottest gigs coming up around town. I hope you treat yourself to a show or two. 

And don’t forget your jacket! Those nights are gettin’ chilly!

Send gigs and info to [Jannahfahiz@gmail.com]