Radio station turns to music to keep no-money blues at bay

By Karen Lateo of Kiama Community Radio

Make or break. It’s a phrase that steels the resolve of any event organiser, especially when a vital community resource is at stake. 

That's why walls and windows of the Kiama region’s meeting places are plastered with posters spruiking Blues In The Night, a live music fundraiser for Kiama Community Radio. 

KCR volunteers have hit the streets in force to drum up ticket sales for the November 7 concert. 

“Keeping a community radio station on air isn't free,” explains Bernie Hems, KCR’s marketing and event manager.

“The equipment, the technology and the facilities that make it all possible need ongoing support. That's why Blues In The Night is so important.”

KCR was launched during the 2020 pandemic as a podcast service to combat isolation. It runs as a free online service at KCR.org.au and reaches a worldwide audience through streaming platforms. 

True to the station’s tenacious spirit, the blues fundraiser will be held in a sponsored venue – the Kiama Leagues Club – with sound and lighting donated by local tech wizard Brendan Comber.

“We're not backed by a large organisation – we don't have deep pockets,” Bernie says. “What we do have is an incredible group of volunteers. 

“They turn up week after week because they believe local stories matter, community connections are worth nurturing and local voices deserve to be heard.”

Those volunteer voices have gained the support of a chorus of Australia’s top blues music talent for the Saturday night concert.

KCR has scored Memphis International Blues Challenge winner Frank Sultana as its headliner. A former local and frequent KCR guest, Frank is fresh from a sell-out Canadian solo tour and a string of interstate blues festivals. 

Support act Jr and the Jewel-Tones are Sydney blues veterans, led by Bruce "Jr" Bongers, delivering deep Chicago-style blues grit and guitar licks. 

The night will be kicked off by chart-topping duo Shane Flew and Matt Ross, currently touring their debut album, Once Upon a Long Time Ago. 

“By buying a ticket to Blues In The Night you’ll get a cracking night’s entertainment,” Bernie says. “And you'll help to keep a community voice alive.”

Doors open at 5.30pm, concert starts at 6pm. Tickets are available here: KCR Blues in the Night 2026

About the writer

Wollongong-born Karen Lateo returned to the sunny South Coast in 2021, after decades in big-city journalism, marketing, publicity and more. She began her career at the Illawarra Mercury, moving to the Daily Mirror, TV Week, the Sunday Telegraph, The Bulletin, Good Weekend, Good Morning Australia and London’s Today. An associate editor of Woman’s Day in its royal family-chasing heyday, she eventually pursued her foodie fantasies into the world of cookbook publishing and celebrity chef management. Desperate to be accepted as a “local” again, Karen has thrown herself into community causes and can be found singing in a choir, chatting behind a community radio mic, volunteering at music festivals, and trawling the Illawarra for her fix of food, culture and art.