Paulie Stewart is well-known for both his activism and his revered iterations of rock over the years. The frontman of the ARIA-charting Painters and Dockers has contributed to the arts and to humanity, as is demonstrated by the punk benefit gig he is holding in Adelaide at The Wheatsheaf Hotel on Monday, March 31st.

100% of the proceeds from NUN SENSE will be donated to the ALMA Nuns of Timor-Leste, who work with more than 4000 abandoned and disabled children in Timor-Leste and Indonesia. Paulie Stewart refers to these nuns as “the most punk nuns” he has ever encountered.

It is a cause that is clearly close to Stewart’s heart. When he was fourteen years old, his older brother, journalist Tony Stewart, was killed in Timor-Leste as one of the Balibo Five - a group of foreign journalists killed in the town of Balibo by invading Indonesian forces. 

This year is the fiftieth anniversary of Tony Stewart’s tragic and untimely death. He has had a deep connection to the nuns in Timor-Leste ever since.

In an interview with The Guardian, the rock-n-roller said of the nuns, “They’re basically cheeky village girls. They’re like, ‘What do I want to do – have seven kids and a useless father and bring in all the money? Or will I hang out with the sisterhood, play guitar, drink a glass of wine every now and again and look after kids? Oh well, I guess I’m gonna join the nuns.’”

The benefit concert won’t be one to miss. Kicking things off will be South Australia’s premier soft-doom trio Pelvis, followed by atmospheric indie band The Wrong Road. Stewart will join The Wrong Road for a special, one-off collaboration that’s guaranteed to bring the house down. What an opportunity - seeing the frontman Painters and Dockers of for a good cause.

Stewart will also share his own personal feelings about the cause, and will be joined by two students from St Ignatius College Adelaide who recently visited the nuns in Dili and are keen to impart their first-hand experiences of witnessing the nuns’ life-changing work.

Tickets are only $20 - and all for charity - and are available to purchase online here.