Is Silverchair playing the NRL Grand Final?!

After talks with Tones And I fell through, NRL boss Peter V'landys says there will be a surprise act after all, promising an 11-minute set that "a lot of people will be surprised" by. He won't say who. So the rumour mill has done what it does best, and one name keeps coming up: Silverchair.

It's not as wild as it sounds. The Newcastle Knights are in the decider, Silverchair formed in Newcastle, and the Johns brothers have history. After the Knights won the 1997 grand final, Andrew and Matty Johns famously "kidnapped" a teenage Daniel Johns to come and celebrate with the team. This week Joey went on Today with a plea ("Now we just need Silverchair"), and Matty has been talking up another reconnaissance mission to get the band back together. Silverchair have been on hiatus since 2011 and haven't said a word.

They're not the only ones keen. Shannon Noll posted that he's "Ready and willing!", and Noiseworks and former INXS frontman Jon Stevens has also put his hand up, suggesting a collab with other Aussie artists with his fee going to Head and Neck Cancer Australia. The NRL says nobody finds out until the night.

The one and only Macy Gray is in Woden tonight. I Try, that voice, and a promised "festival of soul" at the Southern Cross Club. Show-only tickets start at $95, with premium and dinner-and-show options, and pre-show dining at Woden Central from 6:30pm.

Speaking of Nollsie: Canberra's own Harry Carman is on the bill with his fellow Australian Idol alum at the Bathurst Carnival of Cups on Friday 11 December, alongside Golden Guitar winners The Wolfe Brothers and Max Jackson. Harry has come a long way from his debut EP Paths, whose track "Love Is Love" hit Spotify's Viral 50.

Billed as the strongest lineup in NightFest's history, and it starts tomorrow. Four nights, five headliners:

Thursday 1 October: Tim Finn. The Split Enz legend opens the festival, fresh off the band's sold-out reunion tours.
Friday 2 October: Busby Marou and Christine Anu. A double bill of Queensland favourites, from "Biding My Time" to "My Island Home".
Saturday 3 October: Pacific Avenue. The indie-rockers behind Lovesick Sentimental bring the Saturday night party.
Sunday 4 October: The Temper Trap. "Sweet Disposition" under the lights to close it out.

Around them: Canberra's own Jack Biilmann with The Jack Biilmann Band (fresh off being named on the CMC Rocks 2027 lineup), plus Lily B, Sam Sly, Stella Eve, The Filthy Darlings, Tenda, Babyhope, The Fuelers and Trail of Crumbs, with electronic sets at Garden House from Krypt & Faye (Fri), Dimsim (Sat) and DRAGÖN (Sun).

Props to San Cisco for putting Canberra on the map. The Freo trio's new regional run takes in Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns, Newcastle and Wollongong, and wraps up at the UC Hub. New single "Miles Away" lands 15 October, and they say more dates are coming. Tickets are on sale now.