Plenty of live music will be showcased at The Metro Hotel on Friday night when the Bundy Gig Guide celebrates its third birthday.
Music lover Steven Price established the organisation three years ago, stemming from a vision of promoting live entertainment in the one place.
The organisation has been going from strength to strength over the years, gaining thousands of followers on Facebook.
Steven said, after moving to Bundaberg, he was blown away with the range of gigs and shows on offer, but found there was never anywhere that advertised what was happening.
“I had been in Bundy a few years and realised there was so much great live music yet no one place to see what was happening and where,” he said.
“So with the assistance of local musician Abby Skye, who came up with the name and logo, everything took off from there.
“It all started with my Facebook profile and followed with the first official guide on September 12, 2018.”
Steven said the initial aim of the Bundy Gig Guide was to show locals just how much great, live music was being performed in the region through a weekly gig list.
He said over the years, his concept had transformed from a humble Facebook page to an organisation operating fundraisers, events and more.
“We evolved and started coming up with ideas for events like Evening by the Sea in 2019 which raised money for Give Me 5 for Kids, a Musos vs Fans trivia night plus Bundy Young Guns, which was another music trivia night fundraiser for the children's ward at the Bundaberg Hospital,” he said.
“It was a few months after we started our page in 2018, on Christmas Day, I remember waking up and having a look at Facebook to see 1,515 likes.
“I thought wow, more people want this than I realised!
“We now have over 7100 followers and we go out to an average monthly audience of 35,000 locals, which is growing every day.”
Steve described the Bundaberg Region live music scene as “incredible” and said he was proud to support the musicians who worked hard to bring a great vibe to their audiences every week.
“For a small town there is just so much talent and such a variety,” he said.
“From soloists like Todd Keightley, duos such as Barlight, the pub rocking Spargo Brothers, bands from the heavy metal sounds of In Effigy to crowd pleasing favourites of Frostbite to the multi-talented Knee Deep.
With the Bundy Gig Guide turning three this weekend, Steven said it was another opportunity to bring together local and live talent for one big event.
“This Friday night we have our third birthday party at the Metro Hotel, with a night of original live music from Marah Leigh, Bevan Spiers/Purple Hills and also Salt and Steel,” he said.
“Salt and Steel are powerhouse rockers who fire up the stage with edgy, heavy, esoteric sounds.
“Their music fuses heavy rock with the earthy and grounded tribal blues and roots.”
Steven said the event would also feature giveaways from local businesses, a specially made cocktail from The Metro Hotel team and plenty of great music to help you dance the night away.
He said the birthday event would not only celebrate the Bundy Gig Guide but also the many people who had helped bring the organisation together.
“I would like to thank so many people from Tony Peel and Amanda McGinley who say they do nothing but behind scenes they help me so much,” Steven said.
“Also, a huge thank you to 93.1 Triple M for almost three years of support, The Metro Hotel and overall, the biggest thanks to the people of Bundy who support my page and support live music locally.”
The Bundy Gig Guide Facebook page can be followed here.
