I both worked and played in the Valley and later in the City. I also vaguely remember alternative markets run in the Druids hall nearby, with the Perfumer Johnathon Smiggley? George Freeman was a bookmaker who was involved in organised crime in Sydney during the 70s and 80s. The hotel with the best view when having a beer was the city view hotel. It was the first ever club owned by a female, starting its career as a burlesque club and becoming the institution that we know it as today. Moulin Rougeis arguably the most iconic Kings Cross of all time. on June 4, 2019. Rose Shamrock and Thistle (Rozelle), Gigs listed in one week: 471 very fast music for 30mins. Club located in Oxford Street,Woollahra, where Lea Sonia would often appear in drag. There was also a fantastic club at the Orient Hotel later in the 90s I think it was Parklife or something Blur related. Dance battle someone to Staying Alive and wave your arms in the air with hundreds of your new friends to Rufus and Chaka Khans Aint Nobody while glitter and streamers rain down. Armadale Hotel (Armadale) Part of Frank Waddington's chain of picture houses, the cinema seated over 2000 and wasdescribed as 'particularly lavish'. Band/Performer count: 738, Sydney, 1983, most listed venues: Average distance between gigs: 308m Had been called Caesars Palace previously. Her trial gained significant national media attention at the time. Springfields (Kings Cross) Alarm in Elizabeth street doesnt appear to be on the list. My apologies for the error. It was definitely open in the 1970s decade. It was designed as a covered shopping street, with 80 shopfronts on four floors. Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! I did stints and residencies at Treasury Hotel, Majestic Hotel, The Criterion, The Embassy, Colmslie Hotel, Court Jester and Whispers. In addition, a variety of contemporary accounts point to a negative feeling in Sydney live music in the 1990s, depicting the city as a tough place to get a gig or find a friend (Ausmusic 1993; Carroll & Connell 2000; Casimir 1990; Holmes 1993; Homan 2000; Johnson & Homan 2003). Cant say it could pass as entertainment now. This was the first place I recall seeing The Laughing Clowns after The Saints first split and Ed Kuepper returned to Australia. De Brazil moved to the first floor of a building in Edward St (near Elizabeth St) for a while after its closure in Albert St. But by 2006 Sydney live music can be seen making a recovery along the same lines as Melbourne: greater clustering, and loss of suburban circuits. The lead singer was Keith Urban! This Oxford Street haven is one of Sydneys oldest gay clubs and, if you can get in, a paradise of pop bangers from the past and present. Its as interactive as the final hours of a wedding reception with the throbbing Euro beats and high energy power pop required to charge your uninhibited dance batteries. Located under theheritage Australian Gas Light Co building at the lower end of Pitt St, it lead a strong life holding a bunch of NRG nights and supporting some big names. I have accessed the Holy Trinity Church website and it shows the location of Trinity Hall at Church Street at its intersection with Ann St, Fortitude Valley. Historically, its an important spot as it was the virtual birthplace of the Purple Hearts, a band which had as lead guitarist a pimply youth later known as Lobby Lloyd. Timings: Wednesday-Saturday 5:00 PM to 2:00 AM. Such an iconic Brisbane venue it was sad to see Some claim patronage fell dramatically after the passage of lockout laws, A heaving hotspot on the Bayswater Road strip just years ago, the Hugos Bar and Restaurant went bust in 2015, with staff laid off. It wasnt specifically about music or pubs, but i had a good laugh reading the Richard Glover book The Land Before Avocado, it cautions against reminiscing too fondly about the 70s and 80s. The Sound Machine in Elizabeth St was very close to TCs which became Uncles with the telephones on each table. I don't know for exactly how long the Hordern has been a venue for international touring bands (and Australian supports) especially but I saw Yes here in March 1973 and The Flaming Lips were on a couple of weeks back (July 2009). Among the map data are some venue names from the past which may be familiar or surprising to readers, depending on the time frame in which they went out the most. Couldnt wait to legitimately go into Sibils 25 and over downstairs. Corner Hotel (Richmond) So I was incorrect with the Warner St location, but not too far off. What did Joey do after owning Crash and Burn? Thats correct. I think i went back to DJing at The Beat after about 4 to 6 months. How much: $20 before 10pm,$25 afterHot tip:Get a vodka cranberry at arguably one of Sydneys latest happy hours (9-10pm). Thus, the negative reports of Sydneys live music in the 1990s are related less to overall numbers of venues or gigs, than to lack of spatial consolidation the feature which, for better and worse, characterised the survival of Melbourne live music through the same decade. anthems that dont take a breath. Pingback: Bowie in the Pub: How Sydney Music Died - AUSTRALIAN MUSIC MUSEUM PROJECT, Sydney in the 90s was the best. Wine cellar opened by the winemaker and viticulturist, Leo Buring, in the basement of the former Primrose Building at255A George Street in August 1931. Average distance between gigs: 240m Hi ! Rob Roy (Fitzroy) There was also a pub, I cant remember the name, used to have a sunday arv session with a DJ and a band, eastern end of the city. I started and owned the Dancebar nightclub. - 2 Roslyn St Kings Cross. We were resident band on Channel Nine for about 6 months that was the TV version of the Coca Cola Hi-Fi Club And that's when we had all the birdcages up and the stage up one end. (Courtesy ACP Magazines Ltd, Mitchell Library), (The Australian Womens Weekly', 18 November 1953, p32 via Trove), Bodgies and African American Influences in Sydney, Breeding delinquents: Surf City 1963-1966, Whisky a Go Go nightclub, Kings Cross 11 August 1969, APIA Club dance at the Trocadero March 1958, Band playing at a Popular Dance night at the Trocadero 1938, Costume cavalcade at Artists' Ball at the Trocadero 6 November 1953, Jitterbuggers at the Trocadero February 1948, Kandy and friends performing at Ken's Karate Klub, Kensington 1981, Miles of carpet for the Trocadero 1936, Pedestrian crossing Darlinghurst Road outside the Tabou nightclub at night, Kings Cross 1961, Rolf Harris amuses diners at a nightclub in Sydney 1966, Roosevelt nightclub, Kings Cross September 1944, The Beach House Beatles performing at a 2UW Surf Music night at Surf City, Kings Cross February 1964, The Dorchester nightclub in Potts Point 1959, The Echoes band entertaining dancers at Surf City, Sydney 1963, The Phoencian Club on the corner of Broadway and Mountain Streets, Ultimo 1980s, The glamorous showgirls at Chequers, one of Sydney's leading nightclubs 1968, United States R & R men from Vietnam meet Aussie girls at the Whisky-A-Go-Go, 9 November 1967, [Decoration and Glass 1 May 1936 p43 via Trove]. And unlike in Melbourne, the list of 2006 top-listing venues is completely different to 1994. Richter described the venue: it was $2 to go in. Disco music, then, evolved into rave music. These final sections describe the differing norms for Australian musicians in two distinctive earlier eras, and can help give context to the maps and figures presented above. with a Carnaby Street bent which soon developed into battle of the bands competition, and a safe place in the Valley for those under age. Before Brisbane Tavern he was running it out of Ship Inn at Southbank, with a super short stint afterwards at The Foxit was raw and it worked. Club List This is a work is progress, and is certainly not complete.. We are currently working on an online database with much more information. Required fields are marked *. Whisky a Go Go nightclub, Kings Cross 11 August 1969 APIA Club dance at the Trocadero March 1958 Band playing at a Popular Dance night at the Trocadero 1938 Carlotta, Kings Cross 1970-71 Costume cavalcade at Artists' Ball at the Trocadero 6 November 1953 Jitterbuggers at the Trocadero February 1948 having a stall there. The screen for King Charles' coronation anointing is revealed, Monstrous tornado seen bearing down on Palm Beach, Ukraine drone strike hits major fuel depot in port Sevastopol, Women's rights activists and pro-trans campaigners separated, Historic chairs to be reused by the King for the coronation service, Hundreds of Household Division members rehearse for coronation, Russian freight train derails and bursts into flames after explosion, 'You motherf***ers don't understand': Bam Margera details 'turmoil', Moment large saltwater crocodile snatches pet dog off beach in QLD, Doctor slams Laurence Fox for 'spewing out biased views', Australian tourist allegedly spits in the face of a Java Imam, Braverman: People crossing Channel are 'at odds with British values', Daniel Piotrowski for Daily Mail Australia, Do not sell or share my personal information. Those were the days. Fascinating stuff for an old dude who remembers all these Sydney places not Melbourne, remembering that in the 70s and 80s for a Sydney person going to Victoria was like travelling to a foreign country Australia was not yet homogenised like it is now, At high school I remember getting the free music papers and marvelling at how many bands were playing every night of the week, Yes, nostalgic but an observation the male punters in those days were often very drunk and aggressive and quite unpleasant to women not always a comfortable environment now young people (and us old folk who get out on our zimmer frames to see the odd band) are much more chilled and respectful, which is a good thing, Pingback: The iconic Melbourne live music venues we dearly miss from the last 30 years - Beat Magazine, Hi A The foyer contains a sculpture by Raymond Hoff and the whole was considered one of the finest Art Deco style funerary spaces in Sydney. The venue Surf City in the former Kings Cross Theatre onDarlinghurst Road was accused of breeding delinquents soon after it opened in 1963. I also remember a goth / punk niteclub called Hades, that I am pretty certain operated upstairs at the Treasury Hotel. How much: $20Hot tip: Free entry if you arrive dressed to the weeks theme. It is the treasure house of the Grape, presided over by the Master Vigneron, Mr. Leo Buring. I was the drummer with the dominoes about 1965 or so. . The 64 Club opened in Trinity Hall (in 1964!) Annandale Hotel (Annandale) As well as housing Mark Gerber's Oxford Art Factory, Oxford Street is the hub of Sydney's queer community - including Arq, Australia's biggest gay nightclub, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019. Also loved Crash and Burn and Mass. There was a go-go dancer on each side of the stage doing their thing, and because of a lack of staff that evening one of my friends and I were allowed to operate the spotlights at the other end of the room shining on the go-go dancers. Observations and reminiscences from someone who was there. Model and magazine cover girl who shot and killed her lover, Arthur Griffith, outside Chequers Nightclub in 1954. TCs, Uncles, checkers, pips and the last night club at 74 Elizabeth st was Swizzles with turned in to a strip club owner Brian little and manager Johnny Bell. Macs 409 Club was definitely in the early 80s not 90s. It is mentioned in Pauline Bells book on the history of Brisbanes clubs. I note youve only listed Morticias as being at the Hacienda. His fortune was founded on flouting the war and . 'And the Cross is a very different place. Tunnel night club had, like so many places back then, a heavily policed female majority policy. A dark rumpus room of swirling disco tunes colliding with Adele remixes, the dancefloor here is thumping to a soundtrack of top notch Priscilla anthems that dont take a breath. I remember it at the Manhattan. It go. You left out Apples Disco at The National Hotel. Site and contents 1997-2021 Cordite Publishing Inc. unless otherwise stated. Best, Strut your stuff to Earth, Wind, and Fire while a hype man shouts encouragement from the stage. Loved going there so much so that I would usually go both Friday and Saturday nights. Most notably infamous for the death of a 22 year old punter in 1999 the place believed to be an adverse reaction to drugs. Sarah. IS. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. the DJs there were Lester, Les Smith and Darren AJ. Gaelic Theatre (Surry Hills) And Mass. Ding Dong Lounge (City) Contrary to contemporary yarns, there are still pubs who play live music in Sydney. Patch wasnt a DJ at the Terminus. Another monthly suburban gem, this packed disco night in Ashfield includes light-up dancefloor a la. I remember dancing at the Buzz Bar in 1991 (not just the 1980s) when I first moved to Brisbane for Uni. Nightclub established by Chinese entrepreneurs Denis and Keith Wong which attracted a colourful and often notorious clientele to its original basement location in The Strand Arcade in the 1950s. Despite harrassment from governments and intimidation from other Sydneysiders, Chinese immigrants continued to come and to stay throughout the 19th century, until the relaxation of racist laws in the mid-20th century. While Melbourne live music experienced this spatially tempered expansion in the 1990s, Sydney was entering a well-documented decennium horribilis. Famed for her parties at her nearby flat, her after parties following her shows have been described as 'theatrical events in themselves', Lady between shows: Late one evening, a performer in a skimpy costume struts through Kings Cross, her hair already high and her make-up already done. There are no reviews yet. Thanku Karinda. After some time it was re-named UNCLES. 1978 to 1981. Another monthly suburban gem, this packed disco night in Ashfield includes light-up dancefloor a la Saturday Night Fever with a song selection to match. Speaking on radio in 1997, lead singer Tim Freedman commented that Melbourne had a bigger sense of community, in pubs and being part of a crowd, while inner-city Sydney had been scattered to the wind (Australian Music Show, Triple J, 3 September 1997, quoted in Carroll & Connor 2000). Who were there that night. Tunes were covers of stuff on Five Live Yardbirds (Clapton), early Manfred Mann etc. There was actually a time when rock groups didnt even have demo tapes to shop themselves with, and here's a place that let that happen. INSANE. 11. Location: 195 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction, Sydney, 2022. It was November 1970, almost eight months, since I first set foot in Vietnam. I remember going into the building with dad on a Sat or Sun afternoon, it was pretty cool for a 13/ 14 year old as I was then. Empire Hotel (Annandale) The number of gigs also increases, but not in proportion with the number of performers. IT. Central Club Hotel (Richmond) These remarkable black-and-white pictures show Sydney's notorious Kings Cross red light district in its heyday - a heaving hotspot of glamour, grime and good times. One of the greatest gigs I've ever been to happened here in late 1977, when Radio Birdman played their "farewell we are off to Britain" final assault. This isnt actually inconsistent with recent positive reports of the aggregate strength of Melbournes live music scene (Boulton 2013; Music Victoria 2012), nor with reports of its live music venues being under threat (Doman 2014; Levin 2010b). Food and drink Goros Step inside the wonderful world of GOROS, your favourite late-night venue in Surry Hills. p.p.s.One of the most successful clubs from 1976-1982 was the Mayne Sporting Club. The starting point for discussion is a set of maps and figures derived from gig listings in Melbourne and Sydney in three respective sample years, forming a necessarily brief but novel forest through the trees perspective on long-range change. Thanks Prince of Wales (St Kilda) Meanwhile, the average distance between gigs shrinks considerably: 336m, 189m, 85m. I remember a top-notch vocalist that sang with the Clefs at Mayne. Big changes are afoot for the historical district. Basement (Circular Quay) Bowlers Club of NSW (City) I remember a club in Fortitude Valley in the early 70s called Flamingos. Opened in 1892, the Strand Arcade was one of five built in the city centre during the late nineteenth century. VJ the DJ spun some bodacious tunes while we sat in old airplane seats. Angus Kennedy was the DJ, and I believe he did open another club under the same name for a very short time which might be the one you are referring to. Hellllp! It was a great spot and should be included in your wonderful list. By Daniel Piotrowski for Daily Mail Australia, Published: 02:57 BST, 28 April 2016 | Updated: 18:30 BST, 28 April 2016. 'There's the hustle and bustle - and the fact it is very different is what draws people to it. Gas Nightclub Located under the heritage Australian Gas Light Co building at the lower end of Pitt St, it lead a strong life holding a bunch of NRG nights and supporting some big names. What about Queens Hotel , National Hotel, Brothers ,George Hotel etc etc. For the times you just want to sing YMCA at the top of your lungs or drop down and get your eagle on, head to these dancefloors that specialise in guilty pleasure old-school hits. Even inner-city areas such as South Melbourne, Richmond and South Yarra decline in activity or vanish from the data. Historian Judith Dunn told Daily Mail Australia: 'Overpaid, oversexed and over here - that was the little mantra about the American servicemen'. Average distance between gigs: 85m The Sydney data does not indicate a drop in gig numbers or performer numbers in the 1990s, but there is a plateau in both, as well as a lack of inner-city clustering (either visible in the maps, or measurable in the average distance figure), which contrasts with Melbourne. It was short-lived, but significant, because it combined all of the smaller clubs in one large venue on the corner of Ann and Edward streets, on the high side of Ann Street, directly across from the Peoples Palace, in the old Canberra Hotel. Remember seeing Tony Worsley there many times in the mid 60s. CHEQUERS (also RAGS 1979) Goulburn Street Sydney. Rogues at Underwood in the 1980s. The Speakeasy used to sometimes host Morticias, as did The Orient Hotel. Over the years there has been no decline in the number of performers, or even music venues, in Sydney or Melbourne.