Category: Venues
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Bondi Lifesaver
The Bondi Lifesaver was a staple of the Sydney music scene for almost 10 years from 1971 until it closed with a bang on the 31st of August 1980. The “lifesaver”, as it was widely known, started out as a wine bar in a couple of terrace houses but eventually, walls were knocked down to…
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Selina’s – Coogee Bay Hotel
Selina’s in the Coogee Bay Hotel was one of Sydney’s best venues for a number of decades. It was a large, purpose-built venue with a big stage and a mezzanine level for the really big shows. This also served as the “V.I.P” area and was a fantastic place to watch a live band. I had…
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War & Peace Nightclub Parramatta
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. I’d been to a pub or two & seen some bands but this was like, at least in my…
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The Manzil Room – Springfields
It’s hard to describe The Manzil Room to someone who had never been there. It was almost like a parody of the ultimate rock venue. It was a place that was always jumping, especially in the wee hours of the day. I distinctly remember leaving there on more than one occasion, just in time to…
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Manly Vale Hotel
The Manly Vale Hotel is one of those venues that everyone has played at and everyone has been to… except me! That’s right, I’ve never seen a band at The Manly Vale. That makes me fairly unique amongst Sydney music lovers of my age. Just have a look at the list of classic Australian acts…
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The Grand Hotel – Broadway Sydney
The Grand Hotel’s short but huge claim to fame as a venue for bands came about in 1977. The publican Dennis was approached with the proposal of opening the doors to a new style of music for that time, Punk Rock. The Oxford Funhouse at Taylor Square Sydney had just closed its doors to Punk…
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My 4 Favourite gigs as a punter
Before I started working in the music industry I was, like most folks of my age, a dedicated “punter”. I would regularly see two or three bands per week from the time I was old enough to pass for 18. Many people reminisce about the good old days when there was a venue on every…
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Bexley North Hotel
The Bexley North Hotel, like the Family Inn at Rydalmere, was an iconic pub venue of the 1980’s in Sydney. It’s hard to imagine these days that a simple, suburban pub could have hosted so many top line acts but that was how the scene was in those days. You could wander down to your…