Want to avoid gazing at large, lumpy blokes playing football in bad shorts on September 30? Run out of excuses to avoid the inevitable BBQ with cauterised Coles sausages, warm VB and a drunken bogan called Darren who went to school with one of the players?

The Comfy Gutters and Smith’s Alternative are here to save your day!

Come down to Smith’s for a footy-free day of original music (and the odd cheeky cover) from Canberra’s newest, quirky duo who have just returned from their world tour of Delegate, NSW.

The Gutters – Jason Scott (guitar and vocals) and Tim Pigot (electronic cajon and making-stuff-up-to-say between songs) – have been peddling their homegrown talents around the ACT for the last 18 months.

Describing themselves as a cross between DEVO, Paul Kelly and the Violent Femmes (really!), they sing songs of drunkenness, desolation, dickheadedness and danger: “They’re cautionary, autobiographical tales of growing up wild in Tasmania and then getting into trouble at various spots around the world,” explains Jason.

“There’s a general theme about chasing girls and not catching them,” Tim adds.

“He makes stuff up,” Jason adds resignedly.

The Comfy Gutters will welcome the debut of 22-year-old Canberran Liz Caddy as a support act.

Liz’s songs are personal stories about growing up in the Bush Capital: from family, friends, mental health, liking boys, liking girls or working at the IGA, Liz has a song about it, walking the line between angst, reflection, humour and sass; welcoming the taboo and normalising being just a bit odd.