HUNTER fans of Kiss have missed an opportunity to farewell the legendary rock band in their own backyard after their proposed Pokolbin show was switched back to Perth.
Last week Kiss were preparing to announce a gig at Hope Estate for March 26, but due to the Western Australia Government's decision to open its borders when it reaches 90 per cent double vaccination, the band reverted back to their previous plan to perform at Perth's RAC Arena.
While the concert was never officially announced, it will undoubtedly disappoint Hunter members of the Kiss Army, who missed farewelling their heroes in 2019 when the band cancelled their Supercars 500 show at Newcastle No.1 Sportsground a week out due to co-frontman Paul Stanley suffering from influenza and a throat infection.
Kiss played their first and only show in the Hunter at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in 2015.
Both Hope Estate owner Michael Hope and a TEG Live spokeswoman didn't respond to requests for comment.
PLAYBACK CLASS ACT
THE past two years have decimated the music industry and seen artists, road crew and engineers leave the industry in droves.
One organisation that's aided the sector is crisis relief charity Support Art.
With restrictions easing and music slowly returning, Newcastle's Queens Wharf Hotel is hosting their own Support Act fundraiser, Playback, on December 11.
The line-up is headlined by '80s pub rock legends the Choirboys and features Newcastle's DV8, Love That Hat and The Years.
Tickets for the all-day festival are $40 and are available from Queens Wharf Hotel website.
HOT CRIGHTON NIGHT
DASHVILLE Nights will open its 2021-22 season with Hunter Valley favourite William Crighton on December 10.
Victorian folk and blues guitar maestro Jeff Lang and Sydney's country-pop artist Imogen Clark will join Crighton and friends on the evening's bill.
Dashville launched its one-off concert nights last year after COVID-19 restrictions made it impossible to host their regular festivals like Gum Ball and Dashville Skyline.
Dashville Nights will be part of the Lower Belford property's "return weekend bonanza" that also includes the Dashville Christmas Party and Family Portrait Day on December 11.
RAINY DAY WOMEN
MIA Toole, the drummer and youngest member Little Quirks, is about to graduate from high school and to celebrate her Central Coast band are hitting the road.
The Rain Is Coming Tour begins on December 3, just four days after Mia's final HSC exam. Little Quirks will visit the Cambridge Hotel on December 4.
It's been a relatively quiet year for the band - which also includes Mia's older sister Abbey (vocals, guitar) and cousin Jaymi (vocals, mandolin) - after they released their third EP Cover My Eyes and the singlesFlorence's Town and Someone To Hold in 2020.
Both those tracks are expected to appear on Little Quirks' fourth EP due in early 2022.
SWEDES TURN BACK
IF you followed Melbourne's fertile garage-rock scene of the early 2000s you'd have likely heard the guttural energy of Swedish Magazines. The punk four-piece lit up Melbourne's pubs brightly, but briefly, with their EP What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Deadly and first album, Eat More Baby, in 2005 before imploding shortly after.
Frontman Van Walker later forged an esteemed solo career in the folk and Americana scene, which includes his acclaimed 2020 album Ghosting.
The urge to play high voltage rock'n'roll again has brought Swedish Magazines back together to release a best of collection called I Wish Life Could Be, out on November 19. Swedish Magazines are also heading out on tour and will play Maitland's Grand Junction Hotel on November 27.
JETS STILL ROARING
THEY love their Screaming Jets on the western side of Lake Macquarie. The Newcastle rock band's C'mon Summer Tour date at the Toronto Hotel on February 6 sold out in 24 hours.
The good news is Dave Gleeson and the boys will return a week later on February 13 for a second gig if you missed out on tickets.
YOURS & OWLS DROP
HUNTER music fans have a reason to pack the car for a Wollongong road trip after Yours & Owls Festival released their 2022 line-up.
Hip-hop legends Hilltop Hoods headline the bill alongside Benee, Bliss N' Eso, Flight Facilities, The Jungle Giants, Peking Duk and Violent Soho.
Also included for the April 2 to 3 festival at Stuart Park are LDRU, Luca Brasi, Jack River, Ruby Fields, Hiatus Kaiyote, San Cisco, Hope D, Jen Cloher, and many more.
