Loving live music isn’t just about attending music festivals and seeing an international artist’s massive arena show. Even the biggest of big-name headliners started in the trenches, on the sticky carpets and bandrooms of your local bars and pubs – which is exactly where you should be if you want to discover your new favourite band or venue. Here’s our picks for this week’s best local gigs from Aussie talent – from Perth to the East Coast – and all for the price of a good meal.

Pretty City

Where? Sonny’s House Of Blues, Rowes Lane, Brisbane
When? 8pm, Saturday 11th July
Why? One of our fave new acts, Melbourne rockers Pretty City have come up with three
brand new killer tracks, which they’ve dubbed a ‘triple A-side’. To celebrate their taking their energetic live show across the country and have just announced three new shows in Brissy, Sydney and Newcastle, so our QLD don’t feel left out. This one is bound to be a hoot.
Tickets & Info: ‘dirt cheap’ ($10-15),  Facebook event

Label Of Love: Big Village/ Rawthentic

Where? The Shadow Electric, 1 St Heliers St, Abbotsford
When? 6pm, Friday 10th July
Why?  We’ve already written a little about this ‘Label Of Love’ series running at Shadow Electric over the next few months, but it’s just so ace and there’s so much to cover  so why not write about it again? Kicking off this Friday it’s Big Village and Rawthentic Records’ time to shine, and they’ve organised a killer line up. Featuring Soul Benefits, P.Smurf,  P. Link and J Mac just to name a few this is going to be a killer evening of the nest most exciting hip hop the great city has to offer.
Tickets & Info: $15, Facebook event

Eddie Skiba

Where? The Newsagency, 375 Enmore Rd, Marrickville, Sydney
When? 8pm, Saturday 11th July
Why? Hailing form Melborune via North Queensland, talented songwriter Eddie Skiba has recently released his stung new record titled Blend On The Border and to celebrate is hitting the road for a small national tour. Check out his performance to see why he and his five piece band has quickly received a reputation as a must see local act. 
Tickets & Info: $10, Facebook

Dear Plastic

Where? The Workers Club, 51 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Melbourne
When? 8:30pm, Friday 10th July
Why? Art-pop masters Dear Plastic return to the stage to play a special show at The Workers Club in Melbourne in July to release the 4th single and video clip ‘Overwinter’ from their impressive album The Thieves Are Babes. The show will also a part of the Leaps and Bounds Music Festival, and in collaboration with the Gertrude Street Projection festival, the show will feature projections by local visual artist and collaborator David Abbott (who also lent a hand in the filming of the video).
Tickets & Info: $10, theworkersclub.com.au

Unwind: Fundraiser

Where? Mojo’s Bar, 237 Queen Victoria St, North Fremantle WA
When? 7:30pm, Thursday 9th July
Why? To help raise money for mental health, Mojos are hosting an incredible local show/ Featuring multi-award winning songwriter Morgan Bain sharing the stage with Riley Pearce, Helen Shanahan, Tashi and Mossy Fogg in support of mental health awareness. Proudly supported by beyondblue and Music Feedback this is a killer show with a feel good purpose.
Tickets & Info: $15, Facebook event

Glass Skies

Where? The Crown & Anchor, 196 Grenfell St, Adelaide
When? 9pm, Friday 10th July
Why? Indie rockers Glass Skies have just released their second Single ‘Still Here’ from their upcoming sophomore EP. To celebrate the release they will be doing a quick tour at the end of the month and dropping past the Cranka.with Everclear, King Gizzard the Lizard Wizard and Kingswood the guys are looking forward to getting back on the road and belting out a few freshies.
Tickets & Info: $5-$15, Facebook event

Newtown Social Club’s 1st Birthday

Where? Newtown Social Club, 387 King Street, Newtown, Sydney
When? 3pm, Sunday 12th July
Why? Quickly cementing itself as a musical mainstay, Newtown Social Club’s band room is celebrating its first birthday! Wow has time flown. Kicking off in the arvo, the NSC hav recruited the talents of FLOWERTRUCK, The Maladies and Good Counsel Music – all for free. There you go, Sunday sesh sorted.
Tickets & Info: FREE, Facebook event

Chaos Divine

Where? Amplifier Capitol, 383-393 Murray St, Perth,
When? 8pm, Friday 10th July
Why? With three studio albums, national and international tours and countless live performances under their belt, Perth’s Chaos Divine have been building a force to be reckoned with among the national heavy music scene and making waves abroad. Their latest studio effort Colliding Skies is turning heads and receiving rave reviews, being described as one of the year’s best progressive heavy records. ‘Soldiers’, the first single from the new record, recently received the WA Music Industry’s Heavy Song Of The Year Award. Don’t miss seeing these local legends slay in their home town
Tickets & Info: $13.60, wildthingpresents.oztix.com.au

Lindsay Phillips

Where? The Gasometer, 484 Smith St, Collingwood, Melbourne
When? 7:30pm, Wednesday 8th July
Why? Having left his native home-town of Melbourne three years ago for permanent residency in Sweden, singer-songwriter Lindsay Phillips is stopping briefly back in Australia and will play one show only at the Gasometer Hotel (Collingwood, VIC) on Wednesday July 8th as part of Melbourne’s Leaps And Bounds Festival. Since leaving Australia, Lindsay has released some stunning records, and is celebrating his 10th anniversary as a musician. This will undeniable be an incredible rare show you won’t want to miss.
Tickets & Info: $14.80 Facebook event

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