In fantastic news for fans of live music TEG Live and Live Nation have teamed up with the New South Wales Government to present The Greatest Southern Nights – two major COVID Safe concerts at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena for more than 12,000 fans.
The concert on Saturday 28 November will be headlined by psychedelic surf rockers Ocean Alley, with special guests Jack River and Ruby Fields, together with Jack Botts. This concert will be proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW and Dr Martens!
Ocean Alley have spent the past decade creating a unique lane for themselves as a proudly independent band, their vision and sound guided solely by their instinct and passion. The band debuted at #3 on the ARIA Album Chart with their ARIA-nominated third album Lonely Diamond (2020), garnering stellar reviews from the likes of NME Australia and Rolling Stone Australia. The album followed the success of 2018’s Chiaroscuro which propelled the band into national prominence with the double platinum-selling single ‘Confidence’ taking out #1 in triple j’s Hottest 100 of 2018.
Joining Ocean Alley for this very special evening will be Jack River and Ruby Fields. As a climate ally, and a person of deep compassion for all, rising Australian star Jack River is gearing up to take on the world in 2020 with her new Stranger Heart EP. The EP dropped Valentine’s Day & follows up her 2018 debut LP Sugar Mountain that features platinum single “Fool’s Gold” and earned 3 ARIA Nominations and an APRA Nomination.
Hailing from the suburbs of Sydney’s South Coast, Ruby Fields is an Australian singer-songwriter who creates narratives that people feel a close connection to. Her use of simplistic but poignant lyrics in her work has garnered the attention of the international music industry and fans alike. Ruby Fields has sold out multiple national tours, performed to 20,000 people at Splendour In The Grass in 2019, toured the UK, performed a coveted Like A Version for triple j, and has been courted by labels in the US.
With such a strong bill, an affordable ticket price and a city of five million people eager for the return of live music, this is sure to be a night to remember. The Greatest Southern Nights concerts will be co-promoted by TEG Live and Live Nation, with support from the New South Wales Government, and is part of the Great Southern Nights initiative to kick-start the recovery of the live music, hospitality and tourism industries which have been so dramatically impacted by the pandemic.
This concert will be held with a commitment to a COVID Safe environment, with a reduced capacity of just over 6,000 in a venue that can normally hold around 21,000 fans. TEG Live and Live Nation will work closely with and comply with all requirements of the public health authorities in respect to these shows. While operating at reduced capacity, this event will mark the largest indoor music event held in Australia since the shutdown of the live entertainment industry in March, due to the pandemic.
Tickets are priced at $91.60 and will go on sale at 10:00am on Monday 9 November via www.ticketek.com.au. Ticketek is the only authorised seller. Do not pay more than the prices listed for your tickets.
Ocean Alley said: “We’re absolutely stoked to be getting back on stage as part of Great Southern Nights. We’ve missed every part of touring – last year we spent every other day in a new city, so it’s exciting to see live music making a comeback in NSW. The opportunity to headline Qudos Bank Arena in our hometown makes this show that extra bit more special for us, and we can’t wait to finally play our latest album Lonely Diamond in a live setting.”
Geoff Jones, Chief Executive of Promoter TEG, said the Greatest Southern Nights concerts are part of a crucial push to reignite the live industry and thanked the NSW Government and Destination NSW for their strong leadership and support. “These shows are vital for our industry because they will show that we can stage big live concerts safely and that Australians cannot wait to get out and share great live entertainment experiences with their friends and family,” said Jones.
Roger Field, President of Co-Promoter Live Nation Asia Pacific, said these concerts would not be possible without the support of the NSW Government and Destination NSW. “After eight long months of zero arena shows, these concerts will see great musicians bring thousands of fans back together. Not only will these two wonderful nights of entertainment deliver significant employment but they are sure to inject a vital economic boost to our industry and the economy.”
NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said Greatest Southern Nights aligned with the NSW Government’s ambition to kick start the state’s economic recovery, create jobs and drive visitation and spending through major events.
“NSW has led Australia in reigniting the live music industry through Great Southern Nights, and now we are excited to announce these landmark concerts that will be the hottest tickets in the country. The NSW Government is proud to be getting artists, roadies, venues, hospitality staff and tourism businesses back to work and we hope this heralds the safe return of major indoor arena events.”
The Greatest Southern Nights concerts are supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW and and are part of the Great Southern Nights program delivered in partnership with the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).
