Venues Update: Adelaide’s Pepper Tree, Melbourne’s Lounge, Freo’s Dock Bar

INCREASED MUSIC SUPPORT FROM NEWCASTLE’S LASS O’GOWRIE

Longtime Newcastle live music supporter Lass O’Gowrie at Wickham plans to expand its music coverage under its new ownership.

Ian and Sharon Lobb who ran it for 29 years have sold it to three hospitality identities whose portfolio includes The Seven Seas.

After April, when they take over, there’ll be a spruce-up, with some upmarket features, and with definite plans to keep their music loving clientele with more live offerings.

MORE MUSIC AT ADELAIDE’S PEPPER TREE?

Adelaide’s Pepper Tree Café in Alindga is expanding its music offerings in 2019.

It has applied to open seven days and with outdoor dining. Onkaparinga Council is getting feedback from local residents.

In the meantime, the venue has posted on Facebook that it’s looking for bands to perform on Fridays and Saturdays next year. Call 0400 144 467.

CANBERRA GETS FCTN IN MARCH

Canberra gets a new multi-purpose 1,000-capacity entertainment space. Fiction on the Bunda Street site of the old Academy nightclub will intend to create a different flavour every night.

These run the gamut from concerts and club nights to exhibitions, theatre, live art and innovative performances.

The two-level basement space is using its past history as a longtime movie cinema, hence the “fiction” pun in its name.

It’s promising to support emerging talent under venue director JD Beaumont, venue coordinator Ben Amando and booker Frank Tapia who previously held the same the role at Sydney’s Chinese Laundry.

END OF THE ROAD LOOMS FOR MELBOURNE’S LOUNGE

After 29 years of hosting bands, DJs, art installations, performance pieces, short film screenings, live radio streams and multi-day parties, the owners of Melbourne’s Lounge on the city’s main thoroughfare Swanston Street took to social media that it’s fading out in April.

A hospitality group is scheduled to take over the late night space.

The club will run a series of special farewell dates, 29 Parties For 29 Years.

These parties will include the return of a number of club nights as well as Australian and even international live acts that performed there.

The owners declared: “As Lounge has brought so much joy to so many people over such a long period of time, we aim for this period to be a series of celebrations, rather than a funeral.”

CANBERRA’S WIG AND PEN CLOSING

Award-winning Canberra institution Wig and Pen is set to close on December 31.

Its owner Lachlan McOmish opened it as the city’s first microbrewery in 1994.

The Wig and Pen ran a buoyant business but times began after September 2014 when it was forced to move from its Canberra House due to redevelopments to the ANU.

It was supposed to re-open a month later in Llewellyn Hall.

But there was a delay of four months, after which costly refittings also took their financial toll.

McOmish said he was tired of propping up the business, and is retiring to the coast.

Unless a buyer comes into the picture, the lights are turned off on the last day of 2018, putting 16 staff out of work.

DOCK BAR POPS UP IN FREMANTLE

The Dock Wharf Bar has literally popped up again at Victoria Quay’s B Shed in Fremantle, with more music (and bars) this time.

Directors Tim Caporn and Pierce Ericson are keeping it open between noon to midnight every day (except Christmas Day) until December 31.