Venues Update: Fines, closures, scams & legal threats

After TMN reported of four music venues closures last week, more woes have followed.

Cube, Canberra

The former licensee of Canberra’s Cube nightclub was fined $7,000 for failing to retain CCTV tapes that could have helped police investigate an incident there last February.

The commissioner for Fair Trading took Mojoe Enterprises to task for also not notifying it of “reportable incidents” between January and March 2021, and for its security team failing to sign the club’s register properly on two occasions.

“Licensed venues must adhere to their legal requirements and ensure compliance with their venue’s Risk Assessment Management Plan at all times to support public safety,” said Josh Rynehart of Fair Trading and Compliance.

X Cargo, Fortitude Valley

X Cargo, a nightclub in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley made up of shipping containers, was wound up after the relationship between its owners became too strained to continue.

The partners were DJ Aydan Sturgess, 37, and hoteliers Angus, 39, and Leah Cattanach, 36.

At one point the club was generating $180,000 a week with a clientele that was 73% female.

Justice Freeburn noted that Sturgess blocked the Cattanachs from the club’s bank accounts in November 2020 and then obtained a court order a month later claiming he was sole owner.

Narrabeen RSL, Sydney

Narrabeen RSL in Sydney, which has a regular live music program, has temporarily closed until end of this month because trade has drastically dropped due to COVID restrictions.

But the club’s board has told its 3,500 members that the closure could be extended, and that it now faces an “uncertain future”.

Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, WA

The promoter of last weekend’s cancelled Ludic Fest in WA told Mandurah Coastal Times it was contemplating legal action against Mandurah Performing Arts Centre.

The venue pulled out five days before the event was due to be staged, losing the promoter “thousands of dollars” and placing the viability of the business in jeopardy.

But its CEO argued that it had offered the festival ‘postponement dates’ due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19 which saw bar and security staff refusing to work at Ludic.

Ella Sabe

High-end Fortitude Valley club Ella Sabe has closed permanently, two years after it began, a victim of Omicron.

It opened its doors in March 2020 after an expensive fit-out, just as the pandemic hit.

However because its operators had signed a lease deal, it was committed to continue, generating less than the $20,000-a-month rent.

The owner estimated he lost $800,000 on the whole enterprise.

In March 2021, plans were lodged with Brisbane City Council to demolish the building and replace it with a 14-storey high-end “lifestyle and wellness hotel”.

Night Quarter, Sunshine Coast

Night Quarter had its Instagram account hacked for five days by an overseas scammer.

It warned its 30,000 Instagram followers a copyright breach could see their accounts being removed unless they clicked on a link that it purported would advise the venue.

Earlier this month, the venue had to close on a busy Friday night due to strong winds being a safety risk for patrons.

Old 505, Sydney

The Old 505 Theatre in Newtown is closing in March, after 18 years as an artist-run hub.

The headquarters of Sydney Fringe, founding directors Cameron Undy and Kerri Glasscock explained that after losses from recurring lockdowns, Omicron had become “too much”.

They posted on social media: “The past decade has been incredibly difficult for Sydney venues from lockouts, archaic regulation, pressures of gentrification and rising cost of business; but nothing has compared to the impacts we have felt this past two years.”

Adelaide venues

Sugar

A report into Adelaide nightlife by The Advertiser found that most of its major venues were closed indefinitely, because it was financially not worth opening being at 25% to 30% capacity.

These included Rocket Bar, Electric Circus, Lion Arts Factory, Super California and Fat Controller.

The Gov has pulled back to three nights and dropped most of its live music for now.

Since that story, Sugar re-opened in late January, after raising close to $72,000 in a crowdfunding campaign.

It was closed for months last year due to issues with public liability insurance.

Other venues complained their insurance rates had jumped, one going up tenfold to $300,000.

King O’Malley’s, Canberra

King O’Malley’s in Canberra had to close early last Saturday – the venue’s busiest night – when a dozen unmasked anti-vaccination mandate protesters entered at 4:30pm.

After they were refused service and told to leave, management took the decision to close up and called for police to clear the pub.

Negative one-star reviews of the venue appeared on social media, the Canberra Times reported, followed by counteracting positive reviews from King O’Malley’s regulars.