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.

Sunday Arvo In July: Dick Diver, Hierophants & SMB

Where? Copacabana, 139 Smith St, Fitzroy, Melbourne
When? 12:00pm, Sunday 6th July
Why? Whether you’ve got a massive Saturday night planned that could see you lose half your income and more than half your dignity OR if you intend to spend your Saturday eve catching up on that last episode of Game of Thrones (come on, seriously – it’s finished), one thing is for certain: you’re going to need some entertainment to beat the cold, dreary Sunday. And boy oh boy do we have the perfect kick-on/all-round rad show to beat the hungover/boredom blues. A fresh, month-long event ‘Sunday Arvo In July’ begins its reign this weekend at Smith Street’s Copacabana, displaying some of the best local talent around Melbourne for a price that won’t even fill your pint glass. Headliners for the initial Sunday affair are the one and only adored jangle-sax extraordinaires, Dick Diver. The quartet are hot from releasing their politically charged track ‘New Named Blues’ and are busting to blow their brass and strum out some twangly tunes. In addition to this, Hierophants will be dropping post-punk gems, like the schizophrenic ‘Nothing Neu‘, whilst SMB pack the heat with their rockin’ Patti Smith reminiscent jams such as the freshly released ‘Who Do You Love.’ It’d be bloody criminal to miss this one.

Tickets & Info: $8.00, www.facebook.com 

Warehouse Demolition Party: Bareback Titty Squad VS. Godwolf

Where? Lulu White’s, 16 – 18 Grey St, St. Kilda, Melbourne
When? 8:00pm, Friday 4th July
Why? In case you missed it, St. Kilda has gained a new super-sweet live music dive bar entitled Lulu White’s. Great news, right? Well it only gets better. This Friday night the derelict venue will feature two acts. Remember Bareback Titty Squad, the band who performed Triple J’s Hottest 100 in 30-minutes? Or perhaps you saw the recording of the world’s first live instrumental DJ set. These three pals are talented as fuck, and are itching to tear Lulu White’s apart as they dance around in their tighty-whiteys. Providing a bit of a different flavour are the indie-electronica outfit Godwolf. Offering up their lush productions like the blissful ‘So Much More Than Me’, the Melbourne duo will keep your feet moving and your heartbeat-a racing into the wee hours of the Grey Street morning.
Tickets & Info: $10.00 www.facebook.com & www.eventbrite.com.au

Jack On Fire

Where? John Curtin Hotel, 29 Lygon St, Carlton, Melbourne
When? 8:30pm, Saturday 5th July
Why? Melbourne via Perth quintet Jack On Fire will melt away your mid-winter blues with their illuminating tunes. This Saturday night the band take to the John Curtin in promotion of their latest record, I Am Animal, described as “an incredibly solid amalgamation of dark country, folk, Aussie rock, psych and everything in between,” a newfound staple for the Aussie music lover’s diet. The outfit will be joined by the smokey chill-rockers Howl At The Moon, who will be beating tracks from their extensive catalogue, including 2012’s stunning Squalls. Make your way to Carlton this Saturday night, there couldn’t be a better way to shake off the cold this weekend.
Tickets & Info: $12.00 www.facebook.com & www.johncurtinhotel.com

Yah Yahs’ Grand Relaunch: Redcoats, Child & Fuck The Fitzroy Doom Scene

Where? YahYahs, 99 Little Smith St, Fitzroy, Melbourne
When? 8:00pm – Late, Friday 4th July
Why? Does anyone remember back when the owners of Cherry Bar announced they had bought Yah Yahs? Yep, that sure did happen, and now at long last the folks behind the Northside’s favourite rockin’ and rollin’ venue are finally throwing a relaunch party to celebrate the changing of hands and man, is it set to be a humdinger. Fronting this reopening of sorts is Melbourne’s gritty fat-riffed ‘Dreamshaker’ rockers, the Redcoats. Fellow Melbourne trio Child will be churning out their bluesy stoner pysch-tinged jams whilst the straight up heavy blues ‘Dream’ fuzz-buzzers The Fitzroy Doom Scene kick off the desperately long-awaited party. If you’re making your way north of the Yarra this weekend – there should be only one destination in your sights.
Tickets & Info: $10.00, www.facebook.com & http://yahyahs.com.au/

SOSUEME 7TH BIRTHDAY: DMA’s, Touch Sensitive & The Delta Riggs

Where? Beach Road Hotel, 71 Beach Road Bondi Beach, Sydney
When? 8:00pm, Wednesday 2nd July
Why? Remember as a kid how great going to a friend’s birthday party was? And you’d get some form of entertainment at the cost of your mate’s parents? Well, if you’re in Sydney you can sorta relive this childhood fantasy all over again. The legendary party that is SOSUEME is gearing up to blow out seven birthday candles this Wednesday night and they want YOU to lend your breath to them. Headlining this conveniently cost-effective humpday event is the Sydney (or Manchester?) lads of DMA’s, responsible for the Britpop rebvival and super viral hit ‘Delete.’ But that’s not all, not by a long shot. The blues-meets-psychedelica boys of The Detla Riggs will be crashing the coastal venue belting tunes from Supersonic Casualties while local hero Touch Sensitive will keep your feet movin’ and your ass shakin’ with his lush ‘Slowments’ electronica. You’ve basically got no excuse to this one. You can’t be rude and not attend a birthday party, especially when they don’t want to charge you even one pretty penny for the best live music in the country.

Love Music?

Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.

Tickets & Info: Free Event! www.facebook.com & http://beachroadbondi.com.au

Colour Therapy & Letters To Lions

Where? FBi Social,
When? 8:00pm, Saturday 5th July
Why? How does a night filled with the most promising Sydney-siders take on bluesy-grunge alt-rock, blue-wave dream and spacey neo-psychedlica sound? If any of the above tickle your fancy, do we have the perfect answer to your “what to do this weekend” woes. Colour Therapy, a five-piece from the Harbour City are celebrating the release of their gritty EP, Black Widow. Taking to the FBi stage also will be Letters to Lions, a quartet entirely influenced by the carefree lifestyle of skating and surfing that transcends their subdued punk-jangle sounds, emphatically demonstrated on their tune ‘This Morning.‘ Kicking things off nice and easy are psych-rock purists Cosmic Hollow, a local quartet who’ll get your hips swaying to their slow-burning grooves.
Tickets & Info: $10.00, www.facebook.com & http://fbisocial.fatsoma.com

Punktured Minifest: The Decline, Nerdlinger & REVELLERS + more!

Where? Ya Ya’s, 147 James Street, Northbridge, Perth
When? 6:00pm, Saturday 5th July
Why? “I am the antichrist. I am an anarchist” – if you weren’t aware, these be the calling words of original punks the Sex Pistols. If you find some faith or resonation within Johnny Rotten’s spitting statement and you’ll be knocking around Perth this weekend, we’ve got an ass-kickin’ mini festival for you. Hosted by the deliciously titled Punktured Promotions, is an eight band line-up featuring some of the best hard ‘n fast punk rocker outfits from around the country. The headliners of this fist of fury annexation are The Decline, fresh from an international tour and the release of their (Simpons-inspired?) EP, Can I Borrow A Feeling. The full line-up extends from each and every avenue of genre, including: hardcore, ska and reggae, 90s bratpop and pop-punk. Also on the full lineup: Nerdlinger, REVELLERS, Blindspot, House Arrest, them SHARKS and 88 To Yesterday.
Tickets & Info: $12.00 www.facebook.com

Mezzanine

Where? The Bird, 181 William Street, Northbridge, Perth
When? 8:00pm, Thursday 3rd July
Why? The weekend is so close you can almost taste it, so why not jump the gun and start having a little bit of fun prematurely? Go on, you deserve it! And what better way than digging the genre-hopping sounds of Perth locals, Mezzanine. The quartet are gearing up for the release of their single ‘Mary’, a beat from their record Strange Paradise that has already grown to a live fan-favourite. If you dig the lo-fi original indie sounds of Pavement, to the silky-smooth yet loud crash ‘n bash of the Pixies with glints of pop accessibility, this is without a doubt the gig for you. Special guests include Puck, Childsaint and Hyla.
Tickets & Info: $10.00, www.facebook.com & www.williamstreetbird.com

Holy Holy

Where? Black Bear Lodge, 322 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane
When? 8:00pm, Friday 4th July
Why? Just saying the words “the fourth of July” aloud burns a little fire in our bellies – even if it technically has nothing to do with Australia. Nonetheless, why not use our American counterparts’ sacred day to celebrate the greatness of our fair nation and hit up some local music? For the folks of Brissie, you have a special treat making its way to the northern skies. Holy Holy have hit the open road to promote the release of The Pacific EP, and this weekend marks a “homecoming” of sorts for the Brisbane-turned-Melbourne band. Having gained quite the cult following with their infectious hits such as ‘Impossible Like You’ in 2013, it’s now virtually impossible to turn on Triple J and not hear the coastal breezy howls of ‘House of Cards; it’d be remiss to ignore the rise of the shimmering indie rockers. We admit, this gig sets you back a tiny bit more than 15 clams, but with way Holy Holy’s popularity increases, this is undoubtedly the cheapest you’ll ever get to dig these dudes again. 
Tickets & Info: $15.30, www.blackbearlodge.com.au & http://tickets.oztix.com.au