Venues
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…
Read MoreSelina’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…
Read MoreWar & 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…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreManly 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…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreMy 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…
Read MoreBexley 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…
Read MoreHordern Pavilion
Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion has been a leading live music venue for more than 50 years. Holding around 5000 people many consider it to be an ideal sized venue. Built in 1924, prior to the opening of the Sydney Entertainment Centre in the 1980’s, The Hordern Pavilion was the biggest indoor venue available. All the big…
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