Venues Update: September 6

Image:Gyroscope drummer Rob Nassif launched his venue

FREMANTLE COUNCIL ENDS J-SHED SERIES

The Sunset Series of music concerts at the historic Arthur Head in Fremantle’s J-Shed precinct looks like it’s over. Last November, promoter Sunset Events was green-lighted a trial by local authorities. Acts booked included Missy Higgins, Kate Miller-Heidke, San Cisco, Koi Child and SAFIA with picturesque Bather’s Beach as backdrop.

At the end of March, the promoter applied to have more concerts and patrons, and some changes to the building. But Council nixed the proposal, commenting on its website, “Community consultation on the temporary activation period and updated proposal revealed dissatisfaction with a range of issues including inadequate provision of promised community events, rubbish, insufficient parking and inconsistency with City planning policies.”

CAIRNS’ HERITAGE NIGHTCLUB CLOSES

Heritage Nightclub in Cairns, dedicated home of R&B and reggae, has shuttered after eight years. Fifteen staffers lost their jobs. Manager Simon Friend-James blamed a combination of the Queensland lockout laws and two years of roadworks in the area affected takings. Heritage and its sister venue Sanctum are up for sale with expressions of interest closing on September 20. The club showcased international acts as Sean Kingston and major club nights.

TWO REGIONAL VENUES GO ON THE MARKET

Port Kembla’s The Vault (named after the fact the building was a bank in the ‘60s) goes to auction on September 29 at 5pm, on site at 72 Wentworth Street. It was turned into a nightclub after Lou and Jan Belancic bought it in 2000. Lou, a drummer, wants to spend more time with his music.

Theatre Royal in Castlemaine is going through yet another ownership change. The latest owner, Maggie Fooke, who took over last August, wants to devote more time to her other venue, the Brooklyn Arts Hotel in Melbourne. Expressions of interest close at 4pm on Friday October 7.

MORE UPDATES: RAIDS, COURT CASES, SALES, NEWCOMERS

* The Room 680 nightclub in Melbourne’s Hawthorn was raided for drugs by police, weeks after four people were hospitalised for allegedly taking drugs on the premises. Eleven patrons were caught with drugs, and a man charged with possessing and trafficking 85 ecstasy tablets. The club was linked with the deaths of a 19-year old woman last May and a 17-year old boy in July.

* Curtis Patrick Robert Clay, a bouncer at Toledo nightclub in Hobart, is on trial for allegedly restraining a nightclub patron in a chokehold before dumping him face-first onto the footpath last November. He’s pleaded not guilty, and explained to the Supreme Court he was facing a drunken mob at the time.

* Brisbane’s Homestead Tavern is on the market – with the estate agent claiming much intestate interest, especially since the music showcasing venue sits on 7550 square metres of freehold land.

* Graeme Cooper, owner of the Premier Hotel in Albany has been charged with attempted fraud and arson. The 130-year old hotel was set on fire on May 13. Reports at the time were that Cooper had been robbed and assaulted by two men in hoodies before one set the place on fire as they were leaving. Two men were recently arrested over the fire.

* The 100-year old Queens Arms Hotel, in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley precinct, is about to get a $6 million makeover to modernise the place. It will remain trading right through, until renovations are finished in February.

* On the weekend, Perth band Gyroscope’s drummer Rob Nassif launched his new venue, Hen House Live. The 80-capacity room, next to Badlands, will serve as an incubator for up and coming acts. Nassif says that he is partial to booking acts that have played less than 10 gigs to date. Three bands will in fact make their live debuts at the venue.

* Is Adelaide Fringe’s Royal Croquet Club about to announce its new home in the next few weeks, and will it be riverside?

* Work continues on the $2 million sports and music Perth Stadium (due to open in early 2018), with over 17,000 square metres of turf being rolled out. WA Premier Colin Barnett also wants statues of some of WA’s best sports figures – including Polly Farmer (football), Dennis Lillee (cricket) and Margaret Court (tennis) – to be built outside the building in tribute.

* Sydney’s Captain Cook Hotel will this weekend launch a new monthly event called Space Talk as a “haven of groovy music exploration”.