Tips for surviving Dry July in Sydney

On a Tuesday evening you’ve got two options if you’d prefer to sing out your feelings rather than drink them. The first is to belt out a round of sea shanties at the Gasoline Pony. It’s the sister event to Monday’s long running shanty night at the Dock in Redfern and it’s a whale of a time. You’ll be too busy singing ‘Bound for Botany Bay’ to get a beer in anyway. 9pm. Free. Fortnightly on Tuesdays.

On the off weeks, live the rockstar life without the hangover at Frankie’s Pizza by the Slice when they host weekly Rock’n’Roll Karaoke. Instead of weird generic video clips and synth accompaniments you’ll have a live backing band, and you can squash down your performance nerves with giant pizzas instead of whisky. 4pm. Free. Tuesdays.

The gang at Plan B know that some people don’t cherish questions about former cricketers or historic figures, which is why on Wednesday nights they host pop culture trivia nights. Each has an overarching topic like Stargate, Arrested Development, The OC or Pulp Fiction, and then they let true fans battle it out and argue over what Homer Simpson’s email address was (chunkylover53@aol.com). If you haven’t reserved a table in advance, you’ll need to send a few team members down at 5pm to keep seats warm as it attract a diehard crowd. Prizes include tickets to Plan B events, free food and booze for the drinkers at your table, but if you’re in it to win it it’s better if your mind is unclouded. 8pm. Free. Wednesdays.

A driving techno bass line proves a lot less engaging when you’re off the sauce. But you know what? Nostalgia and pop hits are always a fun time. So if you want to hit the dancefloor without drop of boogie juice you want a collection of tunes that you already know and love. Delivering exactly what the doctor ordered is Sydney’s DJ Levins who curates a monthly pop party. July’s instalment is set to be a face-off between Rihanna and our girl Bey, so expect a whole lot of body rolling and dancehall moves. These nights also sell out in advance so lock down tickets through Moshtix ASAP. 9pm. $15. Sat Jul 30.

Sometimes the answer to where to have some good clean fun lies in the history books, or more specifically the tunes of days past, That’s why you should get yourself down to the Sunday night bluegrass/folk/country band night that happens at Miss Peaches each week. It’s a school night anyway so stay on the wagon with a selection of house-made soft drinks like sarsaparilla, melon-ade, ginger beer, Southern-style lemonade and a mandarin soda. Pair it with a $12 burger and bring your best soft shoes for an old-fashioned shuffle on the dancefloor and you’ll be closing out your week in style, with nary a drop of liquor to taint it. 8pm. Free. Sundays.