‘Small, loud and a bit hot’: Brisbane venues where bands most love to play

3 days ago 7

Like thousands of Brisbane-born euphony fans, I saw my archetypal gig astatine The Zoo successful Fortitude Valley.

I was 18, nervous, and astir apt drunk disconnected 2 drinks, but I retrieve the feeling of seeing a unrecorded show of euphony usually confined to my iPod Nano.

Ballpark Music astatine The Zoo successful Brisbane. After 32 years, the venue volition big its past amusement connected July 7.

That amusement was each it took for maine to commencement scouring gig guides and blowing retired the fund for festivals – similar galore who trust connected euphony to substance their existence.

Many of Brisbane’s euphony venues are struggling now, with The Zoo’s closure amplifying the accent and uncertainty, particularly for smaller venues. But that makes it a bully clip for america to item the places section artists astir emotion to play.

Brisbane stone set Girl and Girl chopped their teeth successful pb vocalist Kai James’ mum’s garage, earlier playing their archetypal Brisbane amusement astatine Tomcat successful the Valley.

“We’ve done a fewer determination and a mates astatine Greaser,” James says. “[We besides played] this small workplace supra a tyre store successful West End, that was truly cool. But they were promptly unopen down.”

For them, the astir influential venue is The Junk Bar successful Ashgrove. “They’ve been truly supportive of america … they’re a 60-capacity room, truthful they’re tailored towards smaller bands.”

That size means they could merchantability retired aboriginal on, an important acquisition for an up-and-coming band. And that’s wherefore they had chosen The Junk Bar to big the enactment for their precocious released debut album, Call A Doctor.

“When I moved to Brisbane, I was precise rapidly absorbed and accepted by a truly fantastic radical of truly welcoming and free-thinking people,” James says.

“All your friends are successful truly f---ing large bands, and you tin spell and spot them beauteous overmuch each night, each play astatine a antithetic venue. It’s made maine a precise blessed boy.”

Brisbane stone fable Mick Medew speaks with akin reverence of the country that helped him find an audience.

The erstwhile pb vocalist of the Mesmerisers and pb vocalist and guitarist of the Screaming Tribesmen has been playing Brisbane venues since the ’80s.

“I astir apt toured for astir 10 years straight,” Medew says. “Music was king successful those days. There was a set successful each pub and a pub connected each corner, conscionable about.”

Medew remembers playing astatine The Australian National Hotel (also known arsenic the Aussie Nash), the Souths Leagues Club astatine Davies Park, The 279 Club connected Edward Street and The New York Hotel successful the Queen Street Mall.

More recently, he’s enjoyed playing astatine The Princess Theatre successful Woolloongabba.

“I’ve ever thought they should triumph immoderate benignant of grant for their greenish room. That was a existent treat, playing determination with the Sunnyboys.”

Nowadays Medew plays arsenic duo Mick Medew and Ursula, Ursula being his wife. “We would play astatine The Zoo. I truly emotion it there; it’s a shame it’s closing,” helium says.

“We besides played astatine The Triffid. It’s a beauteous venue, large sound. Everyone loves playing determination … and [Woolloongabba’s] The Cave Inn.

Married philharmonic duo Ursula and Mick Medew.

“When you get older, it’s a spot harder getting astir the Valley … I’ve ever recovered venues [like The Cave Inn and The Bearded Lady] that aren’t successful the heavy of it precise relaxing.”

The Bearded Lady is simply a favourite of galore successful West End’s choky creation community. Kurilpa Reach bassist Pablo Burdell is among those who speech up its charms.

“It’s large to spot unrecorded euphony determination too, particularly punk gigs,” helium says. “It’s conscionable the close vigor … tiny and large and a spot hot.”

Kurilpa Reach played their archetypal gig astatine The Milk Factory, present It’s Still A Secret connected Montague Road. In the years that followed, they became regular performers astatine The Zoo.

When they launched their medium determination successful 2023, it was the biggest amusement they’d ever sold.

The seven-piece, who infuse dub and reggae with psychedelic and modern rock, besides emotion Black Bear Lodge and Outpost successful the Brunswick Street Mall.

“Black Bear has a tiny stage, particularly with 7 of us,” Burdell says. “But the vigor successful determination is amazing.

“We played a gig determination ... a mates of years ago, close earlier COVID hit. People were queuing up the full promenade to effort and get in. It was a chaotic amusement with everyone piled successful connected each other. It was great.”

Burdell says smaller venues are a indispensable stepping stone, “especially for bands that are conscionable starting retired and privation to springiness it a red-hot crack”.

In a fewer days’ time, The Zoo volition adjacent its doors, wrapping up a 32-year bequest and an immeasurable publication to Brisbane’s euphony scene. I’m bittersweet to spot it go, arsenic galore artists and euphony lovers volition be. Let’s guarantee the city’s different standout venues don’t endure the aforesaid fate.