The Zoo’s Luke ‘Boo’ Johnston and Cat Clarke Exit After ‘Rollercoaster’ Two Years
There are changes at the top of The Zoo, Brisbane’s landmark live music venue, as co-owner Luke “Boo” Johnston and Cat Clarke confirm their departures.
In a statement posted this week to his socials, Johnston confirms the husband-and-wife pair are “moving on” from The Zoo, Stranded, and Booze trading under Zoofam Pty Ltd.
“We have cherished our time as custodians of The Zoo, it has been an honour to nurture and guide The Zoo legacy that Joc Curran and C Smith started in 1992 – most recently with the venue’s 30th birthday celebrations,” he continues.
“We want to express our heartfelt appreciation to Joc and Guy Webster for all their love and support.”
The Zoo
Johnston and Clarke head for the exit just weeks after completing an exhaustive, month-long lineup of parties, celebrating the Fortitude Valley icon’s 30 years in business.
“While it has been a thoroughly rewarding experience and we are extremely proud of all that we have achieved,” reads Johnston’s post, “the past two years have been quite a rollercoaster and we have made the decision to step back and focus on our touring and publicity businesses and the well-being of our family as we prepare to welcome our second child this June. “
Those past two years saw The Zoo tough it out during a pandemic that destroyed countless live music spaces, and, for a time, trial socially-distanced shows to keep the action flowing.
Since opening its doors for the first time on Dec. 11, 1992 in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, the site has hosted performances from the biggest stars at the edgier-end of contemporary music, from The Pixies to Silverchair, The Black Keys, Lorde, Ben Harper, The Church, Nick Cave and many more.
Johnston and Clarke joined the ownership team of The Zoo, at 711 Ann St, in 2021, alongside then co-owner Pixie Weyand, who has since moved on to launch Feed Music.
Johnston has been active in the music scene since 2004, working as a tour and production manager. He launched his touring services company, Road Agent Touring Services, in 2020, while Clarke, a former publicist at label Cooking Vinyl and music coordinator and show manager at Melbourne’s 170 Russell, operates Road Agent PR.
Cat Clarke, Luke ‘Boo’ Johnston and Pixie Weyand in 2021
It’s unclear what the venue’s current management structure looks like.
“We thank the Brisbane music community for welcoming us with open arms and making us feel at home when we weren’t sure where home was,” reads the joint statement from Johnston and Clarke.
“We love you all and we couldn’t have achieved any of it without your love and kindness.”
The Zoo is an “incredibly special place where all are welcome, The Zoo is kindness, compassion, acceptance, and safety, a home filled with love. There is no other like it. We will always love The Zoo and it will always be in our hearts, we hope to see her go on for another 30 years. Long live The Zoo.”