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It's almost Australia Day. A time when lamb hits the barbecue, the sun hits the skin, and uncle Geoff hits the brew and then hits the floor... But leading up to Australia Day, it's also a time when live music hits the stage.

This Friday and Saturday the Big Day Out tour is descending on Sydney Showgrounds. But if the big music festival isn't your thing (or you're just pretending that's true because you don't have tickets) then there's still plenty of live music on offer around Sydney this weekend... and a lot of it is FREE!

On Friday night, Sydney-based folk-rockers The Handsome Young Strangers take to the stage at the Annandale Hotel. I'd describe them as a slightly more intense version of Mumford & Sons, with less banjo and more angst. They're hitting up the Annandale Hotel at 8pm.

On Saturday night, Spectacles are putting on a freebie at the Excelsior Hotel in Glebe. On their MySpace page they describe their product as "extra-terrestrial music for intellectuals". Judge for yourself - it won't cost you anything ☺ Gig starts at 8pm.

Gig of the Week
Also on Saturday night pretty-boys Georgia Fair (formerly known as Manyana) hit up the Oxford Art Factory. Fortunately the OAF is a licensed venue, so it won't be swarming with a myriad of annoying teenage girls scrambling for a glimpse of the duo... which means you can enjoy their tunes in relative peace, along with those of Parades, The Laurels and Bearhug. Show starts at 9pm, but get there early to grab the best spot.

Of course if free music isn't your thing, then you can check the gig guide on the right for plenty of other gigs around town which reasonably demand some of your hard-earned coin.

Youngie d - _ - b
SMP