The hottest gigs in town to beat the winter blues

7 hours ago 2

By James Jennings

July 4, 2025 — 5.30am

The Electorate
Waywards at The Bank Hotel, July 5

A recent album reissue campaign is a reminder that ace Sydney indie rockers Big Heavy Stuff are sadly no longer with us. However, two of the band’s members – drummer Nick Kennedy and bassist Eliot Fish – now make up two-thirds of another ace Sydney rock band, the Electorate, along with Josh Morris.

Excellent second album By Design could only have been crafted by musos with several decades of experience under their belts. Hear it played live in one of Newtown’s coolest music venues.

Bliss n Eso
Enmore Theatre, July 11-12

Sydney hip-hop group Bliss n Eso (Jonathan Notley, Max MacKinnon and Tarik “DJ Izm” Ejjamai) have a lot to celebrate for their 25th anniversary of releasing music. Eighth album The Moon (The Light Side) went to number one in April – their fourth album to do so – and they’re following it up with a sequel in October called The Moon (The Dark Side). Over the years, the group have gone from touring the country in a hatchback to becoming one of Australia’s best party-starting live acts.

Kiasmos
Sydney Opera House concert hall, July 12

Although a lot of modern electronic dance music relies on “the drop” – essentially a build-up of tension that resolves when the beat and/or bass kicks in – minimal, experimental techno duo Kiasmos are proudly “anti-drop”.

Instead, the Faroese-Icelandic duo of multi-instrumentalists Janus Rasmussen and Ólafur Arnalds combine pulsing beats with melodic ambient music and orchestral flourishes. Get along to experience what the group call “emotional rave” – music designed to get your feet moving while simultaneously tugging at the heartstrings.

King Street Crawl
Various venues, July 13

Now in its 11th year, this free live music festival is a suburb-wide celebration of Newtown’s music, culture and community. A whopping 150-plus acts will be playing across 25 venues, with artists set to appear including Sydney alt-pop artist Annie Hamilton and a reactivated Deep Sea Arcade at Pleasure Club, Melbourne garage rockers Delivery and shoegazer Julia Why? at Vic on the Park, local retro rockers Salarymen at The Trocadero, and dance/hip-hop artist Dante Knows at The Botany View Hotel.

Atlanta’s Faye Webster will play the Enmore Theatre.

Faye Webster
Enmore Theatre, July 15-16

The delicate and delightful music of Atlanta’s Faye Webster offers some fascinating clues to her past: the dalliances with alt-country can be traced back to a bluegrass-playing grandfather and a fiddle-playing mother, and the seemingly odd appearance of rapper Lil Yachty on new album Underdressed at the Symphony makes more sense when you discover Webster used to be in a rap group as a teenager. Barack Obama counts himself a fan; you’ll probably be one too after hearing her exquisite tunes live.

Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers
The Landsdowne, July 18

Formed by singer Anna Ryan, guitarist Scarlett McKahey, drummer Neve van Boxsel, keyboardist Pip Gazard, and bassist Jaida Stephenson when they were 15-year-old students in Canberra, rock band Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers have come a long way in a relatively short period of time. The band opened for Foo Fighters in 2023 and for Pearl Jam on their American tour in May; catch them playing old and new tunes at this pub gig before they inevitably start filling stadiums themselves.

The Hives
Enmore Theatre, July 23

The Swedish garage rock band, which comprises Pelle Almqvist (vocals), Nicholaus Arson (lead guitar), Vigilante Carlstroem (rhythm guitar), The Johan and Only (bass), and Chris Dangerous (drums), have a reputation as one of the best live bands on the planet, a lot of which comes down to the deranged energy of frontman Almqvist. As evidenced by their names, the band don’t take anything too seriously, except their decades-long mission to blow audiences away with a killer rock show.

New Zealand’s Georgia Lines will play Low 32 in Surry Hills.

Georgia Lines
Low 302, July 25

Here’s a chance to see one of New Zealand’s biggest singers in a cosy, intimate venue. Hailing from Mount Maunganui, Georgia Lines has scooped numerous Aotearoa Music Awards, was the most played New Zealand-female artist on radio in 2023, and had a number one album in NZ with last year’s debut The Rose of Jericho (which includes four number-one singles). This is a rare chance to hear Lines’ soulful, R&B-inspired pop songs up close and personal.

Singer-songwriter Angus Stone, aka Dope Lemon.

Dope Lemon
Enmore Theatre, July 31

Sydney could currently do with less chill: the temperature, and more chill: the attitude. Northern beaches singer-songwriter Angus Stone brings plenty of the latter under his Dope Lemon guise, particularly on the project’s latest album, Golden Wolf, which was released in May.

It’s more experimental than the popular music Stone makes with his sister Julia, mixing up sun-drenched psychedelia, electro-pop, indie-pop, and several other genres that will no doubt make this show a cure for the winter blues.

Bloc Party
Hordern Pavilion, July 31-August 1

Touring artists playing a beloved album in its entirety is obviously a nostalgia-driven cash grab, but it’s not something to get upset about when it’s giving fans exactly what they want. UK post-punk band Bloc Party are getting in on the action, promising to play their classic album Silent Alarm, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, front to back. Gig goers may also be treated to tunes from Bloc Party’s upcoming seventh album, which is being recorded with legendary producer Trevor Horn.

Australian artists playing shows in Sydney this month include rapper 360, James Reyne with Alex Lloyd, Pete Murray, the Angels, Meg Washington, Melbourne rockers the Smith Street Band, ARIA-winning hardcore band Speed, the Dreggs, Karnivool, Kita Alexander, Donny Benét, and Choirboys, who are celebrating 35 years of their signature song Run to Paradise with a show combing music and storytelling. Overseas visitors include Swedish rapper Bladee, Touché Amoré with Militarie Gun, Theo Katzman, Billy Strings, the Juliana Theory, Simon Svoboda, Yhwh Nailgun, Bear McCreary, Jenny Mitchell and Nepal’s Samir Shrestha & Good Boyz. Who will you be checking out? Let us know in the comments.