Venues Update: Fortitude Music Hall opening sells out, SA clubs licensing fee hike & more

FORTITUDE MUSIC HALL OPENING SELLS OUT “IN HOURS”

The July 26 opening of Brisbane’s latest music venue, the 3,300-capacity The Fortitude Music Hall has sold out almost instantly.

Organisers said, “Wow Brisbane, you really know how to roll out the red carpet and welcome the new girl to town!

“Tickets to The Fortitude Music Hall Launch Party SOLD OUT in hours.”

As reported in TMN, the night has feature sets by Ball Park Music, DZ Deathrays & Tia Gostelow and guest spots from Bernard Fanning & Ian Haug (Powderfinger), Patience Hodgson (The Grates), Thelma Plum, Dave McCormack (Custard), Busby Marou, Sam Cromack (Ball Park Music), Sahara Beck & Jeremy Neale.

Those who missed out are advised to head over to thefortitude.com.au and sign up in case extra tix are released at the last minute.

SA LATE NIGHT VENUES TO BE HIT WITH FEE HIKES

South Australia’s late night venues are among those copping licensing fee hikes unveiled this week.

The Liquor Licensing (Liquor Review) Amendment Act 2017 was passed by SA parliament in November 2017, following a review by retired Supreme Court judge Tim Anderson QC who made 129 recommendations to create a culture that modern but safe.

Delivery of the reforms begin in November 2019 (or mid-2020 for existing licenses) and divided into three stages to allow for operational changes and further consultation on different aspects of the reforms.

Venues that operate past 2am will pay an additional $2,000-$30,000 ‘trading risk’ fee depending on how late they open.

Venues in high-risk areas (the Hindley Street precinct comes to mind) and high-risk activities as “sexually explicit’ entertainment or boxing and martial arts events pay $500.

The Small Venue Licence, introduced at a low rate to encourage small bars to start, now triples to  $425 as there are enough new such venues which have begun operations.

NUMBER OF NSW VIOLENT VENUES DROPS

Liquor & Gaming NSW regular list of violent venues is now six, half of what it was six months ago.

There are also none in the highly restrictive level one.

The current list is:

Ivy, Sydney (16 violent incidents)

The Coast Hotel, Coffs Harbour (13)

Belmore Hotel, Maitland (12)

Ivanhoe Hotel, Manly (12)

Penrith Rugby League Club Ltd, Penrith (12)

The Argyle Sydney, The Rocks (12)

Those who’ve been dropped from the list are:

The Sunken Monkey Hotel, Erina

Sydney Junction Hotel, Hamilton

Amaroo Hotel, Dubbo

Narellan Hotel, Narellan

King Street Hotel, Newcastle West

Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach

Camden Hotel, Camden

Sugar Lounge (NSW) Pty Ltd, Manly

Fusion, Cronulla

TGI FRIDAYS TO BOOK LIVE ACTS, DJs

Restaurant group, TGI Fridays is showcasing live acts and DJs at its stores in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and NSW from June 21

Acts will be booked by entertainment company Generation, fronted by DJ, music producer and songwriter Marcus Knight.

He said, “We are looking forward to providing a new platform and opportunity for emerging Australian talent to showcase their original music, along with unique renditions of popular classic and current music in a more family-friendly environment.

“Our initial focus will be to book emerging solo acoustic vocal acts performing easy listening original songs alongside interesting renditions of well-known music that will be enjoyable across all demographics.”

SYDNEY SPACE CLOSING

Cake Wines is closing its Redfern, Sydney, cellar door saying its food, wine, music and culture offering had outgrown the space after four years.

Co-founder Glen Cassidy explained, “We’re at the end of our first-term lease and felt this was the time to move on and pursue other opportunities for Cake Wines around the country and world.”

Before it goes dark on June 15, the venue will host a number of Vivid events.

NEW VENUE FOR CABARET FRINGE

With the closure of small bar La Bohème, the Cabaret Fringe in Adelaide (June 1—29) is turning to Gluttony, and the bar and performance space it introduced at the larger 200-seat Masonic Lodge during Adelaide Fringe.

It will be busy alright, three shows a night over five weekends.

HOBART’S HANGING GARDEN TO SHOWCASE LIVE MUSIC

Coinciding with the return of the Dark Mofo festival in Hobart  (June 6 –23) comes the $5 million cultural hub Hanging Garden put together by Dark Mofo’s DarkLab.

Its director Leigh Carmichael says it’s intended to become “a significant cultural facility” that will reinvigorate the CDB and the businesses around it.