Sydney was home to some iconic nightclubs during the 50s and 60s and showbiz stallwart John Burls remembers them all. 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. Prince of Wales (St Kilda) Patch wasnt a DJ at the Terminus. Despite being accused of murder, assault, race-fixing, bribery, illegal gambling and narcotics. ME. Peninsula Lounge (Moorooduc) Your email address will not be published. Advertisements for Phoenician Club (closed 1998) and Phantom Records store (also closed 1998), On The Street, Sydney, August 1991. The maps presented in this article derive from a wider research project in progress by the author. A prominent gay club, the most recent on this list of closers. What did Joey do after owning Crash and Burn? A 'junior' nightclub called the Birdcage, run by radio compere Peter Bergin was openbrieflyin the venue in 1963 after the theatre closed, and soon replaced byJohn Harrigan's Surf City, that occupied the building from 1963 until 1966 when the building was demolished, to bereplaced by the Crest Hotel. The business fell into ruin and was taken over by Chris (actually the names are escaping me right now but I will wake in the middle of the night remembering them LOL) I knew them both seperately, one was a dreamer with no money running the place as Macs 409 Club from about 1983 and the other a doer with money who eventually turned it into the successful Sensoria from about 1984 till it was shut down by the authorities a couple of years later anyone who followed the 4zzz music scene at the time will know these places at the end of George and Roma Sts . Curiously, a swastika of considerable size sits above her bikie tattoo, After the First World War, Ms Dunn says many 'respectable and advanced' single women moved into Australia's first high-rise apartment building in Kings Cross. on June 4, 2019. GRAND HOTEL, Broadway near Central Station. Saffron was born in Sydney in 1919. having a stall there. John chats with Kayley and Ian. But despite the often 'saucy' themes of the productions, Ms Dunn says: 'Today they'd be nothing - because the morals have changed of what is acceptable and what isn't acceptable', Decades on, Kings Cross remains a place of hustle and bustle - although in recent years there has been an uproar from venue owners with the closure of several popular nightclubs. 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. I would definitely have suspected that the vibe in 1970s and 1980s pubs would have been very unpleasant for women, let alone children: somewhere between Wake in Fright and Puberty Blues. Sydney Tourism Sydney Hotels . Kings Cross nightclub which featured 'drag' acts. How much: $20 before 10pm,$25 afterHot tip:Get a vodka cranberry at arguably one of Sydneys latest happy hours (9-10pm). Clip ref. 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. It was pulled down years ago, but for a good period in the mid - late 1970's The Bondi Lifesaver was Sydney's most renowned rock joint. Nearby, Candelaria is a quirky addition to the Sydney nightlife scene - a Latin club doing salsa, reggaeton and bachata beats, as well as delicious margaritas. Hi! Thanks for compiling all of this. Rogues at Underwood in the 1980s. My intererst was piqued. This pattern is stronger and starts earlier in Melbourne than in Sydney. Nightclub in a former car showroom on Elizabeth Street in the city in the 1960s. Theres not much to say except that it was widely renowned as one of the best clubs in Sydney and it stuck it out for as long as it could post lockouts, but all good things come to an end and in 2017 we said goodbye to one of Sydneys oldest clubs! It then moved to 79 Goulburn Street. Who were there that night. If you like your daytime disco smoothly descending into late-night . 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). Tammys disco was run by the Ashgrove west Methodist church in its hall on waterworks road. Vulcan Hotel (Ultimo) after Patchs closed. His fortune was founded on flouting the war and . Hope that helps straighten out the facts. 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. the other problem was with The Roxy having bands (i remember Paul Kelly and the Colour Girls playing there) as well as music from Patches leaking into the Roxy and visa versa. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. I used to DJ with Darren on Tuesday nights. Culture of Sydney - Wikipedia 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. Great night and that grew into Sensoria eventually . Strawberry Hills Hotel (Surry Hills) I was one of the opening DJs there for a little while. I loved the Buzz Bar! we used to see live music 3 nights a week. Had been called Caesars Palace previously. The lead singer was Keith Urban! This is what they look like now - or the places where they once stood CIVIC HOTEL Cnr Pitt and Goulburn Streets, Sydney. Photos of Sydney's Kings Cross in its Vietnam War era heyday by Rennie They trend towards the diminishing role of organisational oligarchs but also the spatial agglomeration of gigs and musicians, a map writ large by the collective web of spatial leashes which accompany DIY creative work. The changes are more spatial. DRUMMOYNE ROWERS EARLWOOD PUB EDEN NIGHTCLUB EL GRECO (Dulwich Hill) EMBASSY (Rosebay) ENVY EP1 (Former Tunnel) EQUINOX (Apia Club) ETTAMOGAH BAR (Darling Harbour) EXCHANGE HOTEL (Oxford St) FAME (Ashfield) FANNIES FANTASTIC VOYAGE (Hilton) FANTASY (Maroubra Seals) FLASH BACK (Southern Cross Hotel, Princess Hwy) FLASHEZ (Liverpool) FLINDERS Flamingos was a fun place to go and had a really good band playing great music. Hotel Colmslie, Cnr Wynnum & Junction Rds, 33 Turbot Street (opp. United States servicemen on a twelve-month tour of duty were given seven days R & R outside Vietnam. Bowlers Club of NSW (City) the last band that played at Sensoria was New Order, I didnt get any more club gigs after that because it was shut down for lame reasons by the authorities over licencing. Cramming into clubs packed with big hair, booze and pounding music was a rite of passage in the 1980s and into the 1990s. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Harbourside Brasserie (Walsh Bay) Thanks for commenting, and yes its amazing to remember how much more separate the Australian cities would have seemed in the 1970s and 1980s; they still are (and more so with the borders closed! The Venue (St Kilda), Gigs listed in one week: 358 Arthouse (Melbourne), Gigs listed in one week: 839 Sylvania Hotel (Sylvania) About 1965 the resident band was a group called the Dominoes. Soap enthusiast who has amassed more than 2,000 bars of soaps is dan@dannyblue.co.uk thanks. I dont think it was particularly Mexican themed, however the tequila throwbacks and the name (which escapes me) I think, was Mexican influenced. Royal Derby Hotel (Fitzroy) It was written up as The Regatta of the alternative scene because it was so crowded. Midnight shows with drama, naughty themes and showgirls were popular in the Cross in the early '70s, with Ms Dunn saying many would head into the Cross for a show after a dance in the city. It played reggae and early 90s RnB. Thanku Karinda. This is a work is progress, and is certainly not complete.. We are currently working on an online database with much more information. And the Refectory at Uni of Qld in the 80s. Remember it well. Shirley Beiger was a fashion model who shot and killed her lover, Arthur Griffith, outside Chequers Nightclub in 1954. Armadale Hotel (Armadale) It looks like you're using an ad blocker. 'There's the hustle and bustle - and the fact it is very different is what draws people to it. During that late 60s period a number of mainly short lived venues began to appear including Beatle Village in Oxford Street and the Bowl and the Beach House in Sydney's CBD. There was also a fantastic club at the Orient Hotel later in the 90s I think it was Parklife or something Blur related. Perhaps because women had only just been allowed into pubs the novelty value was enough to outweigh this! 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. They aimed to show the 'surface glitter and underground guts' of the city's inner east, in what historian Judith Dunn said was a time of 'hustle, bustle, excitement and activity' for the Cross. Rather, it highlights the human geography already present in existing accounts, but often lost in focusing on particular venues or on aggregate activity. Just found out that rogues international that was in underwood on logan road is now a petbarn store for pets. The shop was known as The Curry Shop but it was actually a coffee lounge. Thanks Club located in Oxford Street,Woollahra, where Lea Sonia would often appear in drag. Playing host to iconic crews such as Bang Gangwith theirBang GangPresents series, the electro house being dropped was of an all time calibre. Average distance between gigs: 240m Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. 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. 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. The Retro. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Her Majestys Nightspot (South Yarra) Not a regular nightly or weekly gig, but hirable for those putting something on. I dj at a club called Casablanca on Fitzroy street at at st kilda in the 80s in Melbourne just wondering if theres any info about it? on the Internet. Because the ceiling was so low we couldnt put in any decent (for 1989 anyway) lighting. First Floor (Fitzroy) By the second half of the 1940s he owned a number of pubs and nightclubs. Rest and Recuperation. He later moved his club to where Sybills use to be (literally 50m up the road) and called it Euphoria (1997-1999? Dancer at Chequers nightclub in the 1950s and a witness in the trial of Shirley Beiger for the murder of Arthur Griffith. You bought your own grog. Nightclubs | The Dictionary of Sydney Sefton Hotel (Sefton) The late award-winning. Carrying a change of clothes, a record and a suitcase distinctive of the era, she may have been a performer who starred in one of the popular midnight shows, Rest, relaxation and perhaps, a little romance: U.S. servicemen made Kings Cross their playground while enjoying time in lieu from the horrors of Vietnam. The most famous clubs in this era, 1980s-2000s, included Club Fac 51 Haidenda in Manchester, England (in a former warehouse that was redesigned by . The first gig for the new partnership was New Years Eve 1984 and I had 7 days to organise and promote it turned out pretty successful too!! I thought it was located in an old church in Warner St, the Valley at that time. Average distance between gigs: 336m Document draftedby NSW Policeafter the death of Anna Woodin 1995 to ensurethe health and safety of participants at dance parties that was published in 1997. Band/Performer count: 353, Sydney, 2006, most listed venues: One band each night Tuesday - Saturday 1978/79. Meanwhile, Jools, which had been opened in 1973 by the NSW premier, Robert Askin, attracted such international acts as the Supremes, Sherbert, Danny La Rue, Eartha Kitt, Johnny Mathis, Marcia Hines, Carlotta, Skyhooks and the Village People. Yes Mayne Sporting Club with The Clefs was one of the best! Toby was asked to open a club upstairs of the Roxy by one of the owners (R.Chan), so he sent his friend Patch there to set it up. I have a couple of recordings of the Dominoes that were recorded live and someone got hold of them and put them on Youtube. 17 Best Nightclubs in Sydney to Get on the Dance Floor - Time Out Sydney Used to search the papers to decide which live bands to see in Sydney. The Junction is one of the hottest nightclubs in Sydney hosting live gigs and art exhibitions. 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. Chequers nightclub | The Dictionary of Sydney IT. Hi Brett. The Clefs were the resident band for all this time,and Sunday nights usually hosted no less than 600 and usually 700 people. The bodgie movement was a feature of street life in Sydney in the post-war period. Other great bands of the time were the Flamingoes,The Echos,The Blue Jays,Beachies,Planets,etc. 'And the Cross is a very different place. Be the first one to, podcast_fiftyup-club-podcast_sydneys-nightlife-50s_1000379842237, Advanced embedding details, examples, and help, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sydneys-nightlife-in-the-50s-and-60s/id1155464688?i=1000379842237, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fiftyup-club-podcast/id1155464688, https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/786c8364-39c5-405d-bc45-a66c00116331/0fd84953-e9b0-4e99-b1e2-a6f8009753d1/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=23c878ef-b184-4fd3-b7ca-a66c0011de7d&t=1484126812, Terms of Service (last updated 12/31/2014). Legendary Kings Cross 'drag' show. Many a good time had there. Photograph: Supplied. Allkins succumbed to the. I remember when it was just opened and the club was advertising the latest in sound system technology. 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). One-C-One Folk Club (Princes Hill) HALL OF FAME- THE NIGHTCLUB LIST | Facebook Those were the days. TCs Sound Lounge was very big in the middle 60?s with all the top Brisbane bands having performed there. I am in my mid 50s. Nightlife is constantly evolving and were constantly trying to look forward, but we cant pretend we dont miss some of the older ones! The gig listings have been compiled into an historical Geographic Information System (historical GIS). Corner Hotel (Richmond) Can anyone remember the bar that used to be at Pier Nine, where the Georges of Paragon restaurant is now? It was the first true Saturday Night Fever style Disco in Brisbane. Try another? Nightclub in Sylvania Waters which featured drag shows. ).I hung out there on/off for a couple of years (94-97?). Needless to say this area became a haven for gurners who would reportedly use it as a picnic ground. The cellar's special vintagesattracted crowds and the venue also played host to many distinguished guests. Would love to supply material for a page on the club if you have room. Yes i do i worked at hollywoods elizabeth street just down from.it, Hi Pauline And so we had, in one corner was the band, round the other were these lovely round tables and chairs, there was a seat built in all the way along and a dance floorAnd then you'd go up to the next floor. 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! 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. Sydney's best retro dancefloors. Hellllp! I never took him up on his offer. A favourite place for soldiers and sailors after the Second World War, the streets were swarming with U.S. servicemen on lieu from Vietnam seeking rest, relaxation and romance. My dad is Chris Johnson, I think one of the guys you mention here. Go Inside the Most Iconic Nightclubs in History ..that dude catered to the RnB clubbers pioneerfun fun times, except when the Islanders had one too many drinkslol. created and designed by Sam Fallows, which are all named after circa 1970s James Bond birds. She was tried for murder andacquitted. Somehow it still remained at the pinnacle of Sydney clubbing institutions until it cited unpaid debt as part of the reason for its close. The premises weredescribed as having 'the head of Bacchusto guide guests in and out' with 'shaded lights' and a feeling of 'cloistered gloom'. One Club you list as: 1980?s, Pinocchios, 480 St Pauls Terrace, Valley I recall it very well in Ann Street just up the road from the Royal George unless it moved to St Pauls at some point? Some of the early acts Abe Yasse had in the 1970s included a local teenager called Kerry Ann Kennelly, Hi, can anybody remember what street the Brisbane Hotel was on? George Freeman was a bookmaker who was involved in organised crime in Sydney during the 70s and 80s. Correction It was called Starz. I would like information about 1990:nightclub Crash and Burn.owner,years opened and bands.is Bulldozer.? Central Club Hotel (Richmond) Model and magazine cover girl who shot and killed her lover, Arthur Griffith, outside Chequers Nightclub in 1954. Old Push (The Rocks) You wouldn't know it by looking at this dull, vacant street scene - but this is the building that's probably housed more music sights and sounds than any other in Sydney. If you wanted a gig there, you auditioned by playing there for one set, early in the night. We would go to The Basement or The Windsor Hotel in the CBD, Lord Nelson at the Rocks, The Rest Hotel Milsons Point, Selinas Coogee. I also remember a goth / punk niteclub called Hades, that I am pretty certain operated upstairs at the Treasury Hotel. Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! No-one does clubs like these any more and its a real shame, You forgot dwarf throwing at the Manhattan! 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. Uploaded by ', Meet the 'Queen of the Cross': Carlotta - an iconic drag queen who became one of the country's most famous transgender women - dolls herself up for a show under bright dressing room lights. A dark rumpus room of swirling disco tunes colliding with Adele remixes, the dancefloor here is thumping to a soundtrack of top notch. Upstairs to Funhouse, venue home-base to Radio Birdman and alumni mid '70's. Sandringham Hotel (Newtown) Heading to 'The Land Down Under'. Pingback: Bowie in the Pub: How Sydney Music Died - AUSTRALIAN MUSIC MUSEUM PROJECT, Sydney in the 90s was the best. 10 Vivacious Clubs In Sydney To Beat The Night In Fun And Dance Basement (Circular Quay) I was the drummer with the dominoes about 1965 or so. Flamingos was at the bottom of Little St off Wickham St, great club in the early 70s. Historian Judith Dunn told Daily Mail Australia: 'Overpaid, oversexed and over here - that was the little mantra about the American servicemen'. I saw a band called The Last Words there in 1978, and a whole bunch of name Sydney new music bands played there around that time. I did stints and residencies at Treasury Hotel, Majestic Hotel, The Criterion, The Embassy, Colmslie Hotel, Court Jester and Whispers. As well as that,the Homestead was very big from the early 70s.One of the early resident bands was a group called The Clefswho were there for almost 2.5 years.The venue also had an aray of overseas stars at the time including Helen Shapiro,Louis Armstrong,Edward Woodward(a great baritone singer)as well as actor and others too numerous to mention.The Homestead at Zillmere was originally set up by a consortium of tennis professionals. Required fields are marked *. Sydney Trade Union Club (Surry Hills) Chinese settlers arrived in Sydney from 1818 and their compatriots followed, especially after gold was discovered in New South Wales. Yes TCs was a great spot. Dj vu! Average distance between gigs: 308m Remember Chequers Nightclub? Nightclub in Kings Cross which featured 'drag' acts. 1. Over the years there has been no decline in the number of performers, or even music venues, in Sydney or Melbourne. Excelsior Hotel (Surry Hills), Gigs listed in one week: 788 Hi Danny, Australia's 20 Most Notorious Gangsters - BuzzFeed 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. No sensible drinking cautions, no smoking bans, and generally less . PARIS THEATRE Liverpool St Opposite Hyde Park. ).that was his peak.full of all sorts Asians, Islanders, some Aussies. From the street in Piccadilly Arcade, Primitif was down two sets of stairs, Prim Junior was down only one. Ivy Pool Club. As with the wider research project, earlier years rely more on Fairfax publications (The Age and Sydney Morning Herald), while in the 1990s this transitions to street press (Beat and Drum Media). Cheers, Kim. Popular club above Taylor Square onOxford Streetwhich featured drag shows. Chinese businessman who first arrived as a student in 1938 and who, with his brother, Denis, established a highly successful nightclub business. I started and owned the Dancebar nightclub. John chats with Kayley and Ian. The 64 Club opened in Trinity Hall (in 1964!) Of course, musicians have always navigated different gatekeepers, obstacles and opportunities. 1960s, 1970s Australia Nightlife, Cocktail Bar, Nightclub, Sydney 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. But beyond the bricks and mortar of the venues and one can, in several cases, buy a brick to save a particular venue the data also speak to the human geography of music, and, to borrow a useful phrase, its lost geographies of power (Allen 2003). Fist pump along to high octane Greek club hits and retro classics in the euphoric strobe lights. Renowned as alleged mob bossJohn Ibrahimsbig foray into the dodgy dealings. 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. Kinselas (Taylor Square) She was acquitted of the crime and her trial gained significant national media attention at the time. Best, 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. I remember it was upstairs. Early house/techno. CIVIC HOTEL Cnr Pitt and Goulburn Streets, Sydney . There was also The Tube Club in the 80s, Mary St I think. Strut your stuff to Earth, Wind, and Fire while a hype man shouts encouragement from the stage. Nightclub in Surry Hills established by the American Red Cross during World War II, exclusively open to those of African or Aboriginal cultural background. Loved going there so much so that I would usually go both Friday and Saturday nights. Carlotta is the stage name of Carol Spencer. They are based on gig listings (published listings for forthcoming live music events) from the same week in three separate years (1983, 1994, 2006), in both Melbourne and Sydney. Other clubs in Sydney at the time would usually pay no more than 600 a week, but Chequers paid 7500 a week to Sarah Vaughan, 6000 to Tony Martin and Shelley Berman and 5000 to Frances Faye. Such an iconic Brisbane venue it was sad to see Through the glass doors (behind that car in the middle there) and down a wide carpeted curving stairway walked thousands upon thousands of people down through the years. However we now have proof that it was called 64 Club which opened in 1964. Another monthly suburban gem, this packed disco night in Ashfield includes light-up dancefloor a la. The joint then sought to look after its patrons by creating a room with relaxed vibes and a cooler temperature stickered with information regarding the effects of drug use. This made it popular with the ladies and beefed up athletes who were all probably on blow. For a short period, the smaller clubs ceased to exist. Brisbane Tavern was run by Nick (? The foyer contains a sculpture by Raymond Hoff and the whole was considered one of the finest Art Deco style funerary spaces in Sydney. RMIT University (City) Gaelic Theatre (Surry Hills) Big changes are afoot for the historical district. Lost Venues, Long Nights: An Introduction to Historical Maps of Live Part of Frank Waddington's chain of picture houses, the cinema seated over 2000 and wasdescribed as 'particularly lavish'. Photograph: Murray Fredericks. By the 1950s it was neglected but in the 1970s the arcade was refurbished, and has since been restored after fire damage. In the same time frame, property prices trebled (ONeill & McGuirk 2002).
