Calibre Music Expands Programming To More Venues (EXCLUSIVE)

Calibre Music Management (CLBR) has expanded its programming services to three more music venues around the country.

They are The Zoo in Brisbane, Mojos Bar in Fremantle, WA and newcomer HABA in Rye on the Victorian surf coast.

The approach by CLBR’s managing director Nathan Farrell and head of programming Adrian Leighton is to assert the venues’ significance in the local community and provide broader and more diverse programming, to increase national and international touring slots.

Among the Melbourne-based company’s venue clients are The Night Cat and The Espy in Melbourne, and Freo.Social in Fremantle.

CLBR’s partnership with The Zoo comes after the long-time music space has gone through a major renovation after it changed ownership last year.

Its 500-capacity band room has new air-conditioning, a revamped green room beneath its new sibling venue Stranded Bar next door, back-of-house facilities, an on-site backline, a DJ booth, a new kitchen with a pizzeria, and a new 3 a.m. license.

Farrell is thrilled to partner with The Zoo on the year of its 30th anniversary.

“It’s an iconic space in not only Brisbane but the national touring landscape,” he told TMN.

“We look forward to working with the fantastic ownership and venue team on broadening the diversity of the musical offering and utilising its 3 a.m. license to welcome more parts of the Brisbane community into the space.”

HABA is the brainchild of Jerome Borazio, founder of Laneway Festival.

He took over the previous space of Baha Tacos, and turned it into an outdoor entertainment area right across from Rye beach, and with a 250-capacity band room.

“We’re so humbled to be the custodians of this historic venue, we’re committed to bringing back live music in a meaningful way to give this place its soul back,” Borazio said.

“The team at CLBR have already astounded us with their innate ability to book the space and we look forward at an array of interesting music from not only local but nationally and internationally acts coming through the venue and entertaining the peninsula locals,” he added.

CLBR’s strategy with Mojos is to complement it with its larger sibling venue, the 800-capacity Freo.Social.

“I’ve always had a special connect with Fremantle, it was always the last stop on a lot of my tours over the years so got to hang out a bunch,” Farrell revealed.

“Helping open Freo.Social with that impeccable team furthered that love and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with them on Mojos Bar, an iconic space in the community and the first stepping stone for so many acts into the West Australian market.”

Originally based in Sydney, Farrell programmed The Basement, The Lansdowne, Hudson Ballroom (FKA Goodgod Small Club), The Vanguard, and Marble Bar among others.

He relocated to Melbourne in 2019, and teamed with Leighton, formerly Senior Programmer at Century Venues, working with the Enmore, the Metro and the Factory.

CLBR’s artist roster includes Melbourne electro-pop trio Telenova which just dropped an EP “Stained Glass Love”, Melbourne singer KYE issues new single “Bossin’”, while Sydney rapper Chillinit continues to rise from late 2021 album “Family Ties”.

Of its producer clients, Styalz Fuego expands his global profile with work with Imagine Dragons, Tate McRae, Odesza and Troye Sivan; while proud Bunuba man, Sydney-based 18YOMAN has had a similar trajectory through his work with Lil Nas X, Kid Cudi, Cordae and Rico Nasty and scoring the ABC’s drama series “Mystery Road”.