Venues Update: November 11

Image: The Triffid

CAIRNS COURTHOUSE SOLD…

This column recently revealed that Cairns Regional Council had plans to compulsorily buy the Cairns Courthouse Hotel to be part of a music and arts precinct. However that’s turned into a blow-out as the venue’s owner Lantern Group, told the Australian Stock Exchange it had “completed the sale” of the freehold and business for $6.25 million.

However that has not deterred Council. Mayor Bob Manning says its lawyers are still under instruction to buy the venue – now from the new owner, said to be another hospitality group.

…AND ROOM 680 ON THE MARKET

Melbourne nightclub Room 680, in the news of late for two on-site suspected drug deaths which sparked off a police investigation, is up for sale. The Hawthorn club owner David Christensen denies he’s seen drugs in the venue.

HALFWAY WIN TRIFFID’S ALBUM CONTEST

Queensland alt-country act Halfway’s album The Golden Halfway Record won the inaugural Queensland Album Of The Year contest run by Brisbane music venue Triffid.

They got 34% of the vote, over finalists Cheap Fakes’ Modern Vintage, Holy Holy’s When The Storms Would Come, Sahara Beck’s Panacea and The Jungle Giants’ Speakerzoid.

A painting of the album’s cover was unveiled on the club wall just before Darren Middleton And Friends’ set to celebrates The Triffid’s second birthday. Meantime, the club pops up in this Sunday’s The Great South East episode.

AUSSIE-BASED AEG OGDEN TO MANAGE DUBAI VENUE

Brisbane-based international venue operator AEG Ogden’s Chairman and CEO Harvey Lister announced that the company will manage the new, state of the art 20,000 seat sports and entertainment Dubai Arena when it opens in 2018 for Dubai-based company Meraas. It is already getting some of its staff to contribute to its design.

AEG Ogden looks after arenas in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Newcastle and three in China, convention centres with entertainment theatre inclusions in Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Kuala Lumpur and Oman, plus the 52,000 seat Suncorp Stadium (now Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park) in Brisbane.

CHERRY BAR GETS OWN SONG

Melbourne band Smoke Stack Rhino have written a song Party People Of The Cherry Bar about the venue on AC/DC Lane. It can be heard here. Meantime, the Cherry Awards are coming up on Wednesday Dec 28 with Draught Dodgers playing for free.

VICTORIA THEATRE RESTORED AS ENTERTAINMENT HUB

Sydney-based venue operator Century Venues, which bought Newcastle’s heritage-listed Victoria Theatre last November has begun renovations work to turn it into a full-fledged entertainment hub.

The 1890 theatre in Perkins Street has been empty and boarded since 1999. So it’ll take two months at least to get rid of 40—60 tonnes of hazardous stuff like lead-based paint and asbestos.

Century Venues operates the Enmore Theatre and The Metro in the Sydney CBD, The Factory at Marrickville, The Comedy Store at Moore Park and The Vanguard in Newtown.

THREE WINS FOR SETTLERS TAVERN

Settlers Tavern in WA’s Margaret River region, a long-time enthusiastic supporter of live music, took out three of the 42 categories at the Australian Hospitality Association WA Awards in Crown Perth. It won Best Regional Hospitality Venue and Best Casual Pub Dining Regional, and Louise Sheridan took Front Office and Administration Employee.

The Universal Bar in Northbridge was named WA’s Best Live Entertainment Venue, offering live music Wednesday to Sunday nights.

MAIDMENT THEATRE TO CLOSE FOR GOOD

University of Auckland’s 100-seat Maidment Theatre will close for good as cost of seismic strengthening hit the $16 million mark. Opened in 1976, it was shuttered last December over concerns over its earthquake safety standards.

ARTS HUB FOR MARRICKVILLE …

The Myrtle Street Creative Space in Sydney’s Marrickville is a new arts hub spearheaded by Erth Visual & Physical Inc. The company moved into the building in September after being based in Carriageworks, and currently inviting other creative enterprises to join up for affordable rates and create through collaboration. More info at australianculturalfund.org.au.

… TOWNSVILLE PRECINCT CONSIDERED…

Townsville City Council will later this month consider applications by four developers to set up a cultural precinct in the precinct, The previous council in March called expressions of interest to lease purpose-built arts and cultural facilities, including a concert hall, in the waterfront alongside Ross Creek.

… AND ARARAT

Ararat in regional Victoria will have a new arts precinct thanks to a $3.7 million investment from the Andrews State Government. The city’s historic Town Hall will be redeveloped, to enhance the Ararat Performing Arts Centre (APAC) and the Ararat Regional Art Gallery (ARAG), both housed in the building. The idea is to draw more tourism and create jobs – 19 during construction and five full time ongoing jobs when complete.

MAGIC CITY AT MELBAS

The national R’n’B and hip hop brand Magic City has expanded to the Gold Coast, now held every Saturday upstairs at Melbas. The latter’s owner Steve Ferris said the Gold Coast was chosen because “we’re sexy”.

TRANSPORT OPTIONS FOR PERTH STADIUM

The WA Government has released a video showing fans transport options to get to the new 60,000-seat sports and entertainment Perth Stadium. The $358 million Perth Stadium Transport Solution includes trains from Perth Stadium Station to transport 28,000 patrons, as well as options as “a picturesque walk across the Swan River pedestrian bridge (or) a cycle through the lush native gardens surrounding the Perth Stadium” according to Transport Minister Bill Marmion.

LAWYER SAYS HOPETOUN NOT SOLD

Judd Commercial Lawyers, on behalf of The Hopetoun’s registered proprietor The Lion Investment Group Pty Ltd, has said Sydney iconic live music venue The Hopetoun has not been sold.

Blind Records owner Adrian Bull claimed both on Facebook and in an interview with TMN that he had purchased the venue last Friday, but that the settlement date is not for another seven weeks or so.

“Our client does not know why Mr Bull has made representations to the effect that he has purchased the Hopetoun Hotel when he has not,” Judd Commercial Lawyers told The Music.