He rocked Heifer Station earlier this year, but could we see Jimmy Barnes back in Orange in November?
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Orange mayor Reg Kidd said Orange City Council would be jumping onboard to bring as many of 1000 gigs from names big and small out to the city as part of the Australian Recording Industry Association's Great Southern Nights poject.
Great Southern Nights will feature 1000 COVID-safe gigs both in Sydney and across regional NSW in November, giving both artists and live music venues a shot in the arm after being shut down due to coronavirus restrictions.
The project has been put together by ARIA and artists to support those industries, with some of the biggest names in Australian music signing up.
Jimmy Barnes - who played A Day on the Green in Orange in February - Birds of Tokyo, Missy Higgins, Paul Kelly and Tones and I are among the artists to sign up to Great Southern Nights.
Bathurst Regional Council - still riding the coat-tails of hosting Sir Elton John earlier this year - wasted no time in jumping onboard and trying to ensure the city's venues would host world-class music talent, and Cr Kidd said Orange had also been in contact with ARIA to try and ensure gigs would reach Orange.
"We're very keen," Cr Kidd said.
"We've invested in a few different things like A Day on the Green, there was a lot of negotiation and investment which went into that from council and the mood for that - even with the drought and people having a tough time - was that it sold out really quickly and went off."
Cr Kidd said he'd love to emulate that in the tail end of 2020, but not just at an outdoor venue like Heifer Station but also at the Conservatorium, Civic Theatre and more.
"Whatever it is, from opera across to classic rock, we've shown we've got an appetite for it out here," Cr Kidd said.
"The conservatorium shows how well we react to having a lot of quality music coming to town and we'd want to get more."
Given free reign to headhunt an artist, Cr Kidd said Paul Kelly would "bring them in for all over" with wide appeal across people of all ages, but council was open to a wide range of artists.
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