Family Inn Rydalmere
The Family Inn at Rydalmere, in Sydney’s western suburbs, is a truly iconic venue. It featured the cream of Australian rock bands as well as a long list of Internationals.
My lasting memory of a typical Family Inn gig was seeing The Allnighters there on a screaming hot summers night. The place was packed to the rafters and going off. It was so hot that there was a constant queue of people heading in to the toilets to dump cold water all over their heads in an effort to keep cool. The music was pumping and the people were jammed in so tightly that you couldn’t help but dance.
It wasn’t the biggest place around or the flashest, but it will always have a genuine place in the history of the Sydney rock scene.
Images
Known Gigs
| Date | Artist | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02/10/79 | Cold Chisel | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| 03/12/79 | Jimmy And The Boys | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| + The Lonely Hearts | |||
| 15/12/79 | Matt Finish | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| 29/12/79 | Matt Finish | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| 12/01/80 | Matt Finish | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| with Cold Chisel | |||
| 12/01/80 | Cold Chisel | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| 15/01/80 | Swanee | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| with Bon Scott, Jimmy Barnes and The Lonely Hearts | |||
| 01/02/80 | Matt Finish | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| 01/03/80 | Matt Finish | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| with Swanee and Radioactive | |||
| 29/03/80 | Cold Chisel | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| 06/05/80 | Outline | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| + The Lonely Hearts | |||
| 23/05/80 | Crisis | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| + The Lonely Hearts | |||
| 03/06/80 | Cold Chisel | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| 04/07/80 | Matt Finish | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| 08/07/80 | Midnight Oil | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| + Matt Finish | |||
| 25/07/80 | Cold Chisel | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| 05/08/80 | Matt Finish | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| 23/09/80 | Matt Finish | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| 24/10/80 | Jimmy And The Boys | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
| + The Lonely Hearts | |||
| 16/12/80 | Cold Chisel | Rydalmere | Family Inn |
More Gigs here
again Motorhead. it was so loud i was hiding behind the pillars on the dancefloor. must have been 40 people there…….one guy and his girl were screwing in front of the sub…..we went outside for a joint and a guy from the council was on the footpath with a DB meter, he said it was more than 110 db outside…….at the end of the set, Lemmy jammed his bass into the aircon vent that was above the stage, walked offstage and let it feedback………the venue didnt last long after that night.
I was outside the night Motorhead played, because I *ahem* “wasn’t welcome” in the band room lol. The council guy was right. It was bloody loud outside!
We remember the Family Inn well. Hell, I only lived about 3kms away from it during the 80s. That airvent was a very popular one for guitar hanging, as was the roof of many venues that I remember our guitarist Craig enjoyed. Ha! Does the Family Inn have bands anymore?
[…] Bexley North Hotelby Mark Gibson on August 17, 2011in Venues – B 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 […]
I was the publican at the pub when we had Motorhead .
It was 1983. The place was a great venue but in the end there was the licencing sergeant intent on closing us down.
It was the beginning of the end of the big venue nights.
By this time the venues were battling against the rising prices of the bands,outrageous and ever growing demands of band ‘riders’ ,the security,the police and the start of the card machines made the running of a big band venue less enticing from a financial point of view.
I remember Lemmy being upstairs with myself and family in the residents for most of the afternnon and was a terrific bloke.
totally unaffected man ,gentle,entertaining and a pleasure to converse with.
The night they played I had the licencing sergeant turn up with his group. One guy with the decibal meter . He got out of the car and said directly to me ‘what are you going to do blow the ****ing roof off the joint’. This was before the band had struck a note. I knew I would be in for a ‘hot’ night from the constabulary.
That was the last big band night at the Family Hotel in my time.
i remember supplying the staff and security with ear plugs for the night. Believe me they tell me you needed them. I actually never got to see the show as I was out side trying to calm the ol’ sergeant and his band of merry men down.
They went away for a while (to the club close by) and tried to ‘nail’ me for staying open after midnight but failed.
80’s were a good time to be in pub scene.
Does anyone remember when Dr Feelgood played there?
i lived about 1 km from the family and was a local!!
i loved the place and was a regular at the weeknight gigs,i did a bit of casual roadie work with the harbour agency back then and was getting a bit of work with kevin borich,heaven and a metal band called killer.
my greatest meeting/gig was to meet steve marriot there and buy him a beer in 1983? he toured with a version of humble pie!
great guy,extremely funny,sadly missed!
i was at the coogee bay hotel when at that time motorhead toured,it was the loudest gig i also had been too!!
i loved the family,great pub,sorely missed,great memories of my youth!!
thanks for the post
cheers,
glenn
magazine played there some time in 1980
Speaking of being hot. I was at a Sunnyboys’ show when thay came out for an encore with only their reggies on.
I only have one memory of the Family Inn from the “Band Perspective” it was early 1980. Peculiar Clerk had been gigging for almost 12 months, we had a loyal following and after a few good gigs at the Local Inn in West Ryde, we expected a good turnout for the gig. Well you don’t always get what you want (where have i heard that before) and it was a very lonely place at the start of proceedings. Roadcrew and WAGS only and if not for a few of our mates (and their mates) from The Lonely Hearts and a couple of dozen latecomers, it could have been nothing more than a rehearsal.
WOW !! Blasts from the past . Hi , Chris Willmot – Publican . I remember you a little bit . I went to Melbourne for a stint or more likely off surfing in the desert .
My dad owned the Family all thru those crazy most extrordinary days . I was working there before your stint , Chris . Right from the start of the bands . I remember Harry the Promoter and Frank from Premier Harbour – the AGENTS . Bunch of rock n roll crazy entrepreneurs that mob . And the back room of the pub, which was formerly a Bistro , started to host the live music . My mum bought new Sebel plastic stackable chairs there and within a month 1/3 had disappeared . The rooms for the bands behind the stage were trashed . However their walls with all the graffitti told a great history of the venue . And the original carpet in the venue was embedded into the concrete slab . Carpet cleaning was a waste . I worked there casual during Uni and it was pile in for the door deals and set up can bars for access . During summer the heat was oppressive . I also remember another Publican / Manager there before your time Chris . I’m struggling to remember his name . Anyway the Attwood stocktakes were real bad and my dad Laurie asked me to do some manual stacktakes over a week . Well on the 3rd day I turn up at 6am and he’s done the runner with the weekend take and safe float . Nice guy . He was later found in WA but as usual had nothing left . Aussie pubs have such colourful history .
Family Inn (Allniters gigs)
26/5/1981 with Popular Mechanics
23/1/1982 with the Silhouettes
9/3/1982 Supporting Cold Chisel
3/4/1982 with the Dropbears
14/7/1982 Supporting Flaming hands 2JJJ Live to Air
2/2/1983 with the Expression
26/3/1983 with Big 5
19/7/1983 with the Dropbears
15/10/1983 with Spy Vs Spy
20/12/1983
hi did anyone record the motorhead gig in 84 @ the family inn ??
I worked at the family hotel from the late 70s to the early 80s , yes chris , I remember you as the publican , peter Corrigan was the publican in the late 70s , some other staff were alan landow , noel favre , gene hampson , plus others I can only remember by first name . the place was a disco first when it reopened the back bar in the mid 70s , before that it was the old horse shoe bar and beer garden , rough pub ? not really , only if you wanted trouble, you got it big time . some of the best times I ever had was at this pub .eric Phillips was the publican in the early 70s , just remembered him ! one of the funniest bands to play there was mother goose , saw them a few times , the fashion of the 70s was ghastly , high platform shoes , high waisted flares ,tight T shirts (yeeew ) but im guilty of donning the fashion of the era ….some really good people never made it out of the 70s and 80s , in that I mean passed away from various drug and alcohol abuse sadly , but all in all they were great times and we wont ever see times as cool as that again …………….
Frankie Raymond,
The Family Inn was a great place for bands & later as a pool hall. I have seen The Oils all over Sydney, Wembley Arena (with Hunters & Collectors) but never managed to catch them at the Family. Either on holidays or seeing overseas acts in the city. Not happy. I have known you & your younger brother Logan, for what feels like my whole life. My main memory of you was up at Rydalmere Public when we could ride our skateboards & you had your super flexi board taking it around The Wave down near Thommos old room. Good memories.
The Allniters were the last band to play at the Family Inn on its final night as a gig venue: 18th August 1984.
Hunters and Collectors played there after that though..I also saw that; The Allniters gig too..
I was there for Motorhead with my brothers. My mum dropped us just down the road with a worried look on her face. No doubt wearing desert boots, levis and a flano. My brother found these shots from the night. I can remember standing in a line outside while Iron Fist was pumping inside and you could feel the wall shaking. I thought the place was going to collapse. I remember one spaced out dude passed out with his head resting in one of the speakers. What a night. Wish I could remember more.
http://www.bobking.com.au/details.php?p_id=279&listid=1&slistid=&seo=Motorhead&menuid=&submenuid=
Mate
Did. Anyone. Record. Motorhead. @ family. Inn.
I’d. Like. To. Order. The. Photos. You. Have. Cheers.
[…] started adding whole tours. We’ve also been able to link the database to individual bands and venues to provide even more information. Thanks to all those who have sent over their gig diaries. Most […]
Mate
Did. Anyone. Record. Motorhead. @ family. Inn.
I’d. Like. To. Order. The. Photos. You. Have. Cheers.
Chris, I took some pics at the Motorhead gig at the Family Inn, happy to send some to you…
Daz
Daz
If you still have the motorhead pic ..be great to see it cheers mate
Wow!!!! That’s all I can say..
What a great pub in the late 70’s- early 80’s
I can’t eemember who was running it but I vividly remember having a drama, we were out for my 18th finally legal then my girlfriend was there and it was her birthday the next day so you wouldn’t let her stay so we all had to leave ?
But we came back!!!
We saw Chisel, we had to queue for miles..
Saw Matt Finish – RIP Matt ❤️ ~ became friends with them when we met them early 80’s in Cooli on holidays.
Gosh there were sooo many bands., we all lived in North
Ryde but there was noooo way we weren’t going, I drive a lot my 78 Vdub didn’t drink that much..
Great Venue for the late 70’s & 80’s
[…] 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 […]
WOW ! What a place the family was, great fights and fantastic rock and roll….met some great folk there, Kerry Mathieson, John Glenday (deceased), Mark Fitzhenry, Dave Bridle, Garry Donavon (deceased)…..and the bands….flowers, australian crawl, sky hooks and more….anyone still around from those days?
I survived 😂
Hi Niel, I went out with Kerry Mathieson for 2 years & we used to go to the Familly when we were both underage. You went out with her some time after that. I lived around the corner from Dave Bridle, he in Gladys st, me in Patricia st. As for John Glenday, I found him collapsed on the floor of an outback dunny in Mildura. He could not be revived. Massive heart attack the ambos said. He, Mick Carr & myself were there to pick grapes on our way to Western Australia, I’m still here & I’m pretty sure that Mick is still living in Perth somewhere. I started work at the family on the night that Chisel played in early 80 & the Oils played on Christmas eve later that year. So many bands in between. Kenny Kemp was the publican at the time. A good man. Both my brothers, (Bill & John), worked there, (they got me the job). The Family was a good name for a pub!
Hi Jeff, wow that’s a blast from the past !!! Kerry now lives in Port Macquarie and me on the central coast….yes i fo remember the days at the family drinking and getting into fights, Dave Bridle – Barbara the bar woman in the back, Julie – mousey John Glenday, what a great bunch of people…..that was very sad about John Glendale….how is life treating you.
Family hotel vs The Local Inn…..I rated the Family pretty high at the time, but after seeing Midnight Oil at the Local Inn at West Ryde, my view changed…..the Local became a hot spot for the some of the best aussie acts of the time Radiators- Midnight Oil and many many more….now it’s a Christian book shop, how times change.
Love to hear from people from that era at the family.
No-one mentioned the wheeled WW2 Searchlight they rolled out into the carpark and shone it up into the sky to advertise band nights. Every time I saw the searchlight I’d head for the Family. I was near it when it was operating a couple of times and it was a monster.
Dave ! The spotlight outside the pub was when they reopened the Tavern in 1977 ! When the joint had the disco going . To my knowledge and memory the light was not used when the bands started as I worked there fro 1977 to 1983
Hi Frank….I was at the disco probaly dancing and drinking with the boys, in between the punch ups
Hi Frank, I never went to what would be called a disco at the Family Inn. I only went when bands were playing. I saw the searchlight operating in the car park on a couple of occasions and could have only been on a band night. Perhaps they used it for both disco and bands for a while. Cheers.
Hi Frank, I am sure I owe you an apology from the family days…
Hi Frank….I was at the disco probaly dancing and drinking with the boys, in between the punch ups
The Reels – 18th June 1983.
Dave Mason walked around the floor singing while wearing a headset microphone. Unfortunately the wireless mic was having issues, and Dave Mason cracked it mid-song.
Hi Frank, I am sure I owe you an apology from the family days…
Does anyone remember Glen Bourke or Mousie….they were committed drinkers in the front bar?
On leave from Kapooka in 1990 & my mates band wouldn’t play until I got there(turbulent military times) then Matt insisted we do Mr Jones then Hey Jealousy.
Shit actually happened is so I couldn’t see the night ought but will always love the time, comp & place.
i grew up in pine st just up from the pub from 70 on and new when a good band was playing cause cars were parked everywhere and you could hear the bands it was a great time to be growing up
the divinyls 1st gig was at the family