Batemans Bay, Moruya, Narooma, and Cooma have made a case to host one of the biggest events in Australian music – Triple J’s One Night Stand.
Over the last 15 years, the One Night Stand has taken the best, biggest, and brightest music stars to regional communities around the country, a huge live music experience the likes of which are normally confined to big metro areas; a full scale, all-ages free concert.
This Triple J road-trip has taken in towns that span the vast Aussie outback and our glistening coastline, including Mount Isa, Queensland (2017), Dubbo New South Wales (2013), Tumby Bay, South Australia (2011), Collie, Western Australia (2008), Ayr, Queensland (2005), and more.
Stars like Tash Sultana, Alison Wonderland, Flume, Violent Soho, A.B. Original, Illy, Hilltop Hoods, San Cisco, RÜFÜS, The Rubens, The Jezabels, Dan Sultan, Silverchair, Birds of Tokyo, and heaps more have all performed.
Questions on the application form included:
- What’s the best thing about your town?
- What are the unique features your town has that the rest of Australia should know about?
- What are the local issues young people face in our area?
- What are the local cultural groups in your town?
- What local charity should be supported with the proceeds from the event?
The Eurobodalla’s submission received 6,600 messages of support from locals, including from Mayor Liz Innes and Far South Coast Police.
The high country bid was steered by Snowy Monaro Regional Youth Council; 16-year-old Youth Mayor, Zara Childs says the new council jumped at the opportunity.
“Being a regional area we don’t really have a heck of a lot of opportunities for arts and cultural events,” Zara says.
“It would be awesome to have bands like Skeggs and Winston Surfshirt come to town.
“It would bring a lot of unity and joy to the region,” Zara says.
Triple J Drive Presenter Lewis Hobba says it’s a tough decision to select the lucky town but given the closest the event has ever been to South East NSW was 2009 at Sale in Victoria, the region has a good argument.
“We definitely don’t like to go too close back to back, our last few have been in Mount Isa, Geraldton, and Mildura, so you [Batemans Bay, Narooma, Moruya, and Cooma] are definitely in the box seat, we do like to spread it out,” Lewis told ABC local radio.
“This is the most fun thing we get to do at Triple J, we love to do this.”
While it is a free event, One Night Stand likes to raise money for a local charity, Lewis says in the past the event has helped fund everything from mental health services to radio transmission towers.
The 2018 artist line up and the fate of the four local applications will be known in May – fingers are crossed.
*This article first appeared on RiotACT