Crowbar Sydney launches crowdfunder campaign

The coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the live music industry, and venues are in dire need of community help. Sydney’s ‘Home of the Heavy’, Crowbar, has launched a crowdfunder campaign to help keep their beloved venue alive.

Since taking over the Bald Faced Stag in 2018, Trad Nathan and Tyla Dombroski have built a venue that genuinely fosters a sense of community. A live music hub that’s been a home to everything from the nichest of sludge metal bands to the J Awards. The last vestige in the city that allows you to sink a carefully-curated pet nat whilst listening to the scorching riffs of Motörhead. Losing this venue is not an option.

Crowbar hopes to raise $200,000 over the next 30 days to help keep the venue afloat. To do so, they’re hosting a crowdfunding campaign and auction that’s offering punters the chance to get their hands on some very special gear.

“Crowbar Sydney needs your help! After 12 months of lockdowns and restrictions, Crowbar needs to call on its community of supporters for help to survive,” the venue shared in a statement. “Live music venues around the country are closing down or just holding on by a thread. We are all battling negotiations with landlords, restrictions and reduced income, facing the end of JobKeeper and struggling to pay ongoing fixed costs and debt that keeps piling up.

“As one of the first industries to close and the last to open, we’ve been hoping that State and Federal Governments might come to our aid, but we’re no longer in a position to patiently wait. And so, we need your help. Without it, we face making the gut wrenching decision of having to stop the music and close our doors permanently. We’re asking our friends, our fans, our families, and everyone we know to help keep Crowbar alive by donating to our CrowFunder campaign”

The statement continued, “Crowbar is an independent, family operated business, built on 9 years of blood, sweat and tears, and 20 years experience in the music industry. Supporting live music in Australia and nurturing our once thriving music scene has stood at the forefront of everything we do, and despite this massive hurdle of COVID-19 recovery, we aren’t ready to end the good fight just yet. We are overwhelmed by the tremendous support from our friends, bands and industry colleagues who have donated some amazing prizes and rewards for this crowdfunding campaign.

If we are successful in reaching our target we have a strong hope of recovering through this pandemic to continue putting on the best shows, parties and good times.”

Those that want to support can make a donation for a merchandise reward via Pozible, or take part in the online auction for a chance to win some cracker items like:

• Lindsay McDougall’s first Frenzal Rhomb guitar
• Test pressings from Cooking Vinyl for The Bronx, Luca Brasi, The Chats, Modern Baseball, Ceres and heaps more thanks to Cooking Vinyl Australia
• A limited Mindsnare ‘The Death’ skateboard and ’Credulity’ test pressing
• A signed Simple Plan drum skin from Oztix
• A stage backdrop and test pressing from The Amity Affliction 
• Crowbar Brisbane’s infamous inverted neon cross
• A keg party at your house thanks to Pabst Blue Ribbon
• A MEGA merch pack from 24Hundred and Unified

Crowbar for fucking ever.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.