Over April, May and June 2024, Dept of Rock will be back at Smith’s Alternative with gigs showcasing some of the great bands that took part in our 2023 Battle of the Bands competition. Come along and give it up for these amazing public sector musos as they kick arse, playing longer sets with not a judge in sight!

Gig 1 – Cheeky Division. Delivering frank and fearless musical satire!

Playing Order:

The Shadies
Absent Ace Tone
Adventure St
The DUDs

These four bands know how to crack a joke while shredding a guitar, ukelele or snare. Come along and enjoy some stellar music and a joke or two about life, love and working in the public sector.

Absent Ace Tone – This power trio formed for our Battle of the Bands 2023 comp bringing songs to the stage very different from the repertoire of their previous incarnation (Nozl). For All Stars Gig 1, Absent Ace Tone will be playing a set of prog rock songs that explore hot topics such as falling asleep in meetings, procrastinating and a mini-rock opera about airport love gone wrong. Not to be missed and never to be forgotten, don’t be absent for this one.

The Shadies – are an inclusive, fun loving ukulele band which was set up by Dept of Environment staff over seven years ago and has followed them through various machinery of government changes. Now harking from the Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, the Shadies are back at Dept of Rock to play a cool set of songs with their own special, often cheeky, interpretation. We can’t wait to see and hear The Shadies weave their ukulele magic again! Maybe we’ll be treated to another ukulele rendition of April Sun in Cuba…in April?

Adventure Street - is Canberra born and bred. When the guitarist and lead singer bought houses on the same street, the creation of the band was inevitable. When that street name was ‘Adventure’, the band name was a gift. This cool four piece plays a variety of music and instruments that will take you down every musical street including a few cheeky ones. Adventure St got through to the final of the 2023 Battle of the Bands comp but never performed due to the dreaded covid. We are so excited to see them back on stage for our All Stars Gig!

The DUDs – Acoustic Punk never regrets, never says sorry and never gets the attention it deserves. The DUDs came together for Dept of Rock and blew everyone away with their searing satire about working in the APS placing a close 2nd in the finals last year. The DUDs high energy, take no prisoners punk commentary of the modern APS is not to be missed. No one has been sacked for breaching the code of conduct…yet!

Other All Stars Shows
Gig 2 – Cruisin’ Division 27 May 2024, 3 – 8pm
Gig 3 – Cranked Division 29 June 2024, 12 – 5pm

Dept of Rock Battle of the Bands will run again in the second half of 2024 at Smith’s. Check FB for updates.