Spectrum (Darlinghurst) Band/Performer count: 324, Sydney, 1994, most listed venues: Stephanie Weaver, 78, from Littleover, Derby, started collecting soap in the 1970s, but recently decided to sell her collection, which counts more than 2,000 bars. Hi Grant, The building is still there - you walked down the stairs behind that gate, but the Stage Door Tavern, which ran a reputation second only to the Lifesaver for a couple of years (the variety of music was better at The Stage Door - it embraced the new music, while the management and clientelle of the Lifesaver were openly hostile to punk/ new wave/ post-punk whatever you wanna call it), closed it's doors for good as a venue one sad night back in 1980. Loved going there so much so that I would usually go both Friday and Saturday nights. 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. 1972 (Howard Bruce, NLA) Notes Saffron was born in Sydney in 1919. Happy clubbin!! 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. The gig listings have been compiled into an historical Geographic Information System (historical GIS). I think i went back to DJing at The Beat after about 4 to 6 months. From the Kinolibrary Archive Film collections. War & Peace Nightclub Parramatta was an iconic live music venue of the seventies and eighties and was probably the first real nightclub that I ever went to as a fresh-faced 17 year old in 1979. An eye-catching serpent winds its way up from her bikini line, Speaking to the long history of one of Australia's most prominent motorcycle gangs, this tough local in oversized sunglasses rolled up her sleeves to show her allegiance to the Hells Angels. She was tried for murder andacquitted. And Mass. That's cool! Another monthly suburban gem, this packed disco night in Ashfield includes light-up dancefloor a la. The Speakeasy used to sometimes host Morticias, as did The Orient Hotel. According to a publication produced by Buring, titled 'Amusings of the Ye Olde Crusty', it notes: In an earlier and out-of-print edition of the "A-Musings, Ye Olde Crusty was described as a Wine CellarIt is more than such words could convey. As an introduction to this story of change felt in place, over time, this article discusses changes to live music in Australian cities between the 1980s and the 2000s, transitioning from an industry heyday of sorts, towards a more familiar landscape of organised activism focused on saving inner-city music venues (see, for example: Faulkner 2013; Homan 2011; Levin 2014). Soup Plus (City) Brisbane tavern was on the corner of Ann street and wharf street. p.s.TCs and Top Cats are one and the same. It was located in Goulburn St, Sydney, between Pitt and George St ,close to both the Mandarin Club and to the notorious Goulburn Club, one of the major illegal casinos of the period. Cheers, Kim. Thanks 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 Nightclub in Kings Cross which featured 'drag' acts. Esplanade Hotel (St Kilda) Business boomed for strip clubs on the Golden Mile (many run by 'Mr Sin' Abe Saffron) and throngs of partygoers would descend on shows at midnight. Food and drink Goros Step inside the wonderful world of GOROS, your favourite late-night venue in Surry Hills. It was the first true Saturday Night Fever style Disco in Brisbane. You can read more about that whole situation here! ), but it can be much easier to forget this with quick internet or mobile phone communication instead of expensive and sporadic long distance phone calls, and I suspect that the types of jobs and houses you might find in each city are more similar. My team, Roy Merrin, Lenny The Giant and I won the Ashes created by incinerating seven copies of snow white and the seven dwarves. Post information only relevant to the subject heading. In these particular maps the larger symbols represent venues with more individual gigs in the respective time frames, found in either the Rock, Jazz or Folk sections of the relevant publications. I remember a chap called Robin Oxland was in charge of the Australian side of things. Their website states: The sixties brought the Valley, always a shopping mecca, into the wilder years. Average distance between gigs: 336m The hotel with the best view when having a beer was the city view hotel. 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. 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). Great read. Nightclub in Surry Hills established by the American Red Cross during World War II, exclusively open to those of African or Aboriginal cultural background. Sylvania Hotel (Sylvania) It was at the top end of Elizabeth Street. The Carousel Club was purpose built by underworld figure Abe Saffron to house the show. Heading to 'The Land Down Under'. Had a lot of different names..when Michael Jordan was the DJ. Great list! 1978 to 1981. I thought it was located in an old church in Warner St, the Valley at that time. They used to sell rum and coke that had no alcohol in it essence of rum of something. Nightclub owner and property developer reputed to be a major figure in Australia's organized crime in the latter half of the twentieth century. While Melbourne live music experienced this spatially tempered expansion in the 1990s, Sydney was entering a well-documented decennium horribilis. I was there. Again, the data presented in the maps above is not inconsistent with existing accounts, but adds nuance. According to my diary, the band I was in at the time played one night at Pinocchios in Ann Street, the Valley in November 1973 from 9:30pm to 3:00am. McD & East Car Park), Crest Hotel downstairs (now Sebel Citigate), Gardens Point Campus Club, QIT, George St, 210 Brunswick Street, Upstairs next to the Roxy, Alexandra Hills Hotel, Cnr McDonald & Finucane Rds, Basement, Community Arts Centre, 109 Edward St, City Plaza Tavern, Cnr George & Adelaide St, Lands Office, Cnr George and Mary Streets, Embassy Hotel, 214 Elizabeth Street/then Valley, Adelaide Street (rear entrance Alices Rock Cafe). Brisbane Tavern was run by Nick (? This was around 1960. 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. Ding Dong Lounge (City) 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. No-one does clubs like these any more and its a real shame, You forgot dwarf throwing at the Manhattan! Some of the info you have needs correction. Or, seek out thesequeer-friendly partiesin Sydneyfor inclusive vibes and always fantastic beats. Required fields are marked *. Bars. Great list. Richter described the venue: it was $2 to go in. My intererst was piqued. Stranded! There are no reviews yet. p.p.s.One of the most successful clubs from 1976-1982 was the Mayne Sporting Club. The Retro. Kinselas (Taylor Square) Just found out that rogues international that was in underwood on logan road is now a petbarn store for pets. This pattern is stronger and starts earlier in Melbourne than in Sydney. Shirley Beiger was a fashion model who shot and killed her lover, Arthur Griffith, outside Chequers Nightclub in 1954. It was time for a much needed break, so I put in for R & R at Sydney . How much: $20Hot tip: Free entry if you arrive dressed to the weeks theme. We used to hang out at The Manhattan in the valley almost every night of the week. Rob Roy (Fitzroy) Saturday shoppers would wander past with mouths hanging open at the intensity of the music. Carlotta was one of the original cast members of the Cross's Les Girls cabaret show. Find more fab sticky carpet groove sessions. Later, after The Manhattan closed, we started going to the underground and kokoz, wall st and transformers with a little bit of Mary street thrown in for good measure! Meanwhile, the average distance between gigs shrinks considerably: 336m, 189m, 85m. Often, they would roar with laughter at the comedy and cabaret shows, the most prominent of which was the Les Girls troupe, which starred the iconic transgender drag queen, Carlotta. Further, of the Sydney venues with the most listings in the 1994 sample, several are fancier and higher-capacity venues, not suited for musicians starting out. Esplanade Hotel (St Kilda) I remember going to Transformers with my Husband and Brother must have been late 80s early 90s to see Black Sorrows perform it was great, standing overlooking the stage great view and great music. The Sound Machine in Elizabeth St was very close to TCs which became Uncles with the telephones on each table. Safe as houses back then! In the Strand Arcade.. Best new wave, alternative & punk music : late 70s- early 80s.. What about Stars A transvestite bar, upstairs on Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley I waitressed in Tonys Downunder early 1990s and I clearly remember visiting Stars a number of times. Started in late 1968 and continued in 1969. Leos 1950s I worked there in 68 as a Food and Wine waiter under a most professional Mister Luigi Rossini and would be most surprised if it had been in existence that long! The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. For three years it served as the spiritual home of Australian beat music, giving rise to mainstream pop stars and underground cult heroes whose influence remains today. Sign up and we'll keep you updated weekly with fresh new content (no spam, we promise! Vulcan Hotel (Ultimo) It go. Sydney was at one stage a leading nightlife destination and as such we fostered some of the best musical talent in a plethora of clubs around the city. 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].