Q&A: Powderfinger’s JC discusses his new live venue

With what has become an incredibly hostile climate for live music venues over the past few years, it seems increasingly risky to open a new venue, no matter what city you are in. It’s because of this reason that TMN spoke to John Collins, bassist for the now defunct Powderfinger, about his new live music venue in Brisbane called The Triffid, which is currently under construction.

It’s been four years since Powderfinger announced the farewell tour, what have you been up to since, aside from entering the music venue business?
After touring for more than 25 years, I took some time off to spend time with the family, drop the kids off at school, and do a bit of traveling with my wife instead of Hoggie [Powderfinger guitarist Ian Haug]!

Venues have been dropping like flies up and down the East Coast, Brisbane is no exception with the recent closing of The Joynt and Tempo Hotel. Did you have any reservations about opening a new venue?
No, not at all. I believe quality venues are a great thing for the music industry. The Triffid provides a perfect gap in the market. It is an 800-capacity venue that is artist friendly, with a world-class sound system, great location and is much-needed in Brisbane. As Brisbane lad, I’m proud to be bringing more music investment to the city.

The Triffid is housed in one of Newstead’s World War II hangars. What have you put in place to stop noise pollution from leaking into the surrounding area?
We have taken noise pollution very seriously, so we are going above and beyond for the treatment of our acoustics, whilst maintaining the integrity of the sound inside the venue for world-class artists. We are over-engineering in the design and building phase to minimize any problems in the future. We hope that the people of Newstead see Triffid as their own backyard to come and hang out for quality live music, a beer and some food.

You’ve mentioned previously that the venue will be using professional gear and will provide a big enough stage for decent-sized acts. Are you able to provide specifics?
We are in the process of finalising the specs, keep your eye on the website for details, but we will be providing top quality backline as a point of difference.

Who will be calling the shots in regards to which acts get to play the Triffid. Will you have an active role in this yourself?
I’ll be working as part of a team with Graham Ashton and Will Watson from Footstomp to book the venue. Between us there’s a wealth of music experience.

Furthermore, will the acts being showcased have a nice blend of local and international talent? Absolutely, we’re nutting out the schedule at the moment and it’s pretty exciting. We are adamant about fostering the local live music community, as well as being the perfect size venue for international and national acts.

How big is The Triffid’s behind-the-scenes team; who are they and what can you tell us about them? Apart from Footstomp’s booking team, my business partner Brett McCall brings event management and hospitality experience and our publicist is Megan Reeder Hope, who spent almost a decade as Head of Press and Promotion for Dew Process, Create/Control and Secret Service Public Relations.

What are your hopes for the Triffid?
To become a venue close to the hearts of music fans and musicians alike as a key part of the Australian music landscape.

The Triffid is set to open shop in November.