I think i went back to DJing at The Beat after about 4 to 6 months. I think it was originally, or turned into, a Russian restaurant. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Waiter at Chequers nightclub who lived in Kellett Street, Kings Cross in the 1950s. Club List This is a work is progress, and is certainly not complete.. We are currently working on an online database with much more information. I think the red parrot was a hamburger place in Elizabeth st ?? The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. How much: $25Hot tip: Pre-drinks are for babies, fill up on pre-pierogi from the club's restaurant. Beppi died this year, aged 90, but his restaurant lives on. According to a publication produced by Buring, titled 'Amusings of the Ye Olde Crusty', it notes: In an earlier and out-of-print edition of the "A-Musings, Ye Olde Crusty was described as a Wine CellarIt is more than such words could convey. I asked him about the music policy and was told it would be Top 40 (which wasnt a policy) but then he went on to say that it would be easy to draw a crowd as there would be top shelf entertianment including dwarf throwing and wet T-Shirt competitions. I remember a top-notch vocalist that sang with the Clefs at Mayne. It played reggae and early 90s RnB. Heading to 'The Land Down Under'. De Brazil moved to the first floor of a building in Edward St (near Elizabeth St) for a while after its closure in Albert St. Thus, the negative reports of Sydneys live music in the 1990s are related less to overall numbers of venues or gigs, than to lack of spatial consolidation the feature which, for better and worse, characterised the survival of Melbourne live music through the same decade. You bought your own grog. I both worked and played in the Valley and later in the City. My team, Roy Merrin, Lenny The Giant and I won the Ashes created by incinerating seven copies of snow white and the seven dwarves. The room(s) were a completely ridiculous kind of set-up/shape for any serious music venue, but that didn't matter at the time while avant hippypunkers Voight465 Radiator, Crime & The City Solution and some of the initial wave of record company financed Melbourne bands played here (the 'Lethal Weapons' tour). Thats correct. It was pulled down years ago, but for a good period in the mid - late 1970's The Bondi Lifesaver was Sydney's most renowned rock joint. Or the Silver Spade Room? Royal Derby Hotel (Fitzroy) I am in my mid 50s. For better or worse, live music scenes now survive with more performers, performing less often, and in a smaller area. I went there many times; it was my favourite hangout. Notes. Band/Performer count: 411, Melbourne, 2006, most listed venues: CIVIC HOTEL Cnr Pitt and Goulburn Streets, Sydney . How much: FreeHot tip: Security is very strict about closed-toe shoes. Mandarin Club (Haymarket) With renewed Chinese immigration in the 21st century, Sydney's Chinese community is rapidly changing. Sydney's 4 best retro dancefloors - Time Out Sydney The Carousel Club was purpose built by underworld figure Abe Saffron to house the show. Advertisements for Phoenician Club (closed 1998) and Phantom Records store (also closed 1998), On The Street, Sydney, August 1991. Rhythm Zone Wednesday nights at Rumours on Adelaide St. It was definitely open in the 1970s decade. Before Brisbane Tavern he was running it out of Ship Inn at Southbank, with a super short stint afterwards at The Foxit was raw and it worked. This isnt actually inconsistent with recent positive reports of the aggregate strength of Melbournes live music scene (Boulton 2013; Music Victoria 2012), nor with reports of its live music venues being under threat (Doman 2014; Levin 2010b). It was thesecond venue opened by entrepreneur, Ivy Richter. I used to DJ all over Brisbane in the 80s (I had a different name then) working for Kev Batten who ran a DJ business called Modern Music. Popular club above Taylor Square onOxford Streetwhich featured drag shows. If you're more in the mood for some body-numbing technocheck our guide to the best night clubs in Sydney. The sun shines over the place where Birdmen flew. Return to Parramatta's lost nightclubs as Sydney Festival's Disco Dome tour resurrects legendary venues of west WHEN Midnight Oil played War and Peace in the late 1970s, Parramatta was at the height of its clubbing days and things could get pretty wild. What about Queens Hotel , National Hotel, Brothers ,George Hotel etc etc. However we now have proof that it was called 64 Club which opened in 1964. Perched just off Oxford Street on Flinders Street, this two-level club is a Darlinghurst landmark. Tunnel night club had, like so many places back then, a heavily policed female majority policy. Great list. As with many other industries, live music in Australia has undergone a form of restructuring. Atmosphere: Nightlife for Party Freaks and Local Legends. The Best Nightclubs in Sydney - Culture Trip Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. If you have any information about actual dates and addresses or clubs not listed here, please leave a comment below, or Contact us Older Comments That's cool! Saturday mornings from something like 10am to 1pm (not sure of that), this tiny venue would pump out some of the loudest and bestest sounds Brissie had to offer in those days. Dj vu! The number of gigs also increases, but not in proportion with the number of performers. And one boofy-haired fellow (centre) had no qualms about wearing his swimming togs and sandals into the district to have a chat with a man in a suit and a cigar chomping acquaintance, The photos aimed to show the 'surface glitter and underground guts' of the city's inner east, in what historian Judith Dunn said was a time of 'hustle, bustle, excitement and activity' for the Cross, Ms Dunn said then, like now, the Cross has always been a magnet for people looking for something a 'little bit naughty' and unique, Rosaleen Norton, dubbed The Witch of Kings Cross, holds a skull as she sits at a table with Alpine cigarettes and a glass of wine, 'A thrill a minute!' opened Primitif Junior, up the stairs. I also remember a goth / punk niteclub called Hades, that I am pretty certain operated upstairs at the Treasury Hotel. Dance battle someone to Staying Alive and wave your arms in the air with hundreds of your new friends to Rufus and Chaka Khans Aint Nobody while glitter and streamers rain down. In these samples the spatial variation of gigs (represented in the Average distance between gigs figure, and in the visual clustering in the maps) declines over time, while the number of performers increases. There was also The Tube Club in the 80s, Mary St I think. Hopetoun Hotel (Surry Hills) Observations and reminiscences from someone who was there. Band/Performer count: 324, Sydney, 1994, most listed venues: Photograph: Supplied. In 968/69 I went to Sebastians in the City, any idea where it was please? We will keep fighting for all libraries - stand with us! Melbourne, 1983, most listed venues: Often, they would roar with laughter at the comedy and cabaret shows, the most prominent of which was the Les Girls troupe, which starred the iconic transgender drag queen, Carlotta. I remember it was upstairs. The Retro. It was located in Goulburn St, Sydney, between Pitt and George St ,close to both the Mandarin Club and to the notorious Goulburn Club, one of the major illegal casinos of the period. Peninsula Lounge (Moorooduc) Find more fab sticky carpet groove sessions. Even inner-city areas such as South Melbourne, Richmond and South Yarra decline in activity or vanish from the data. By the 1950s it was neglected but in the 1970s the arcade was refurbished, and has since been restored after fire damage. I saw a band called The Last Words there in 1978, and a whole bunch of name Sydney new music bands played there around that time. The comments below have been moderated in advance. Cant say it could pass as entertainment now. Club located in Oxford Street,Woollahra, where Lea Sonia would often appear in drag. The 64 Club opened in Trinity Hall (in 1964!) I went to whiskey a go go, the next week it was bombed. I spent many nights there too, but I cant remember what it was called! In the years following World War II, American military personnel became a common sight in the Cross - delighting locals by introducing American products like chewing gum, chocolate and silk stockings, Dubbed 'Tattoo Girl', this Kings Cross character with a blinding wedding ring shining on her left hand had no qualms about unbuttoning her pants and stripping off her top to show off her ink to photographer Rennie Ellis. However its life would eventually come to close as it became embroiled in a gang war. Despite being accused of murder, assault, race-fixing, bribery, illegal gambling and narcotics. Somehow it still remained at the pinnacle of Sydney clubbing institutions until it cited unpaid debt as part of the reason for its close. Nightclubs | The Dictionary of Sydney Your email address will not be published. created and designed by Sam Fallows, which are all named after circa 1970s James Bond birds. It later moved to Adelaide Street, in the National Hotel, but was never in Brunswick Street. And that's when we had all the birdcages up and the stage up one end. (Courtesy ACP Magazines Ltd, Mitchell Library), (The Australian Womens Weekly', 18 November 1953, p32 via Trove), Bodgies and African American Influences in Sydney, Breeding delinquents: Surf City 1963-1966, Whisky a Go Go nightclub, Kings Cross 11 August 1969, APIA Club dance at the Trocadero March 1958, Band playing at a Popular Dance night at the Trocadero 1938, Costume cavalcade at Artists' Ball at the Trocadero 6 November 1953, Jitterbuggers at the Trocadero February 1948, Kandy and friends performing at Ken's Karate Klub, Kensington 1981, Miles of carpet for the Trocadero 1936, Pedestrian crossing Darlinghurst Road outside the Tabou nightclub at night, Kings Cross 1961, Rolf Harris amuses diners at a nightclub in Sydney 1966, Roosevelt nightclub, Kings Cross September 1944, The Beach House Beatles performing at a 2UW Surf Music night at Surf City, Kings Cross February 1964, The Dorchester nightclub in Potts Point 1959, The Echoes band entertaining dancers at Surf City, Sydney 1963, The Phoencian Club on the corner of Broadway and Mountain Streets, Ultimo 1980s, The glamorous showgirls at Chequers, one of Sydney's leading nightclubs 1968, United States R & R men from Vietnam meet Aussie girls at the Whisky-A-Go-Go, 9 November 1967, [Decoration and Glass 1 May 1936 p43 via Trove]. It go. An L shaped room with a curving bar on the first floor held host to Mental As Anything, X, The Lipstick Killers, Tactics, Flowers(later Icehouse) and lots of others. Candys Apartment (Kings Cross) I have just a few vague memories of this venue. The Sydney data does not indicate a drop in gig numbers or performer numbers in the 1990s, but there is a plateau in both, as well as a lack of inner-city clustering (either visible in the maps, or measurable in the average distance figure), which contrasts with Melbourne. Nightclub on William St Kings Cross during the 1960s and 1970s. Pony (City) Legendary Kings Cross 'drag' show. If you wanted a gig there, you auditioned by playing there for one set, early in the night. Hope that helps straighten out the facts. He also had Clancys Restaraunt at Taringa sometime later in the early 80s. Nightclub owner and property developer reputed to be a major figure in Australia's organized crime in the latter half of the twentieth century. I have accessed the Holy Trinity Church website and it shows the location of Trinity Hall at Church Street at its intersection with Ann St, Fortitude Valley. VJ the DJ spun some bodacious tunes while we sat in old airplane seats. Renowned as alleged mob bossJohn Ibrahimsbig foray into the dodgy dealings. From the depths of Kings Cross all the way over to Pitt St in the CBD and back towards the queer district of Oxford St, hundreds of nightlife venues have come and gone and here are some that we consider iconic for their own reasons. Venues Archives - Australian Music History Culture of Sydney - Wikipedia 2.0K members Join group About Discussion More About Discussion About this group Rules on joining this group are fairly simple and straightforward. Sefton Hotel (Sefton) Club List | Clubbed Out They are based on gig listings (published listings for forthcoming live music events) from the same week in three separate years (1983, 1994, 2006), in both Melbourne and Sydney. Cat and Fiddle (Balmain) I, for one, was impressed with Thought Criminals cover of then current Magazine song 'My Mind Aint So Open' substituting badly played mouth organ for tenor sax. I had a marketing company working in club promotions at the time and was approached by Robin Oxland to assist with the marketing of The Manhatten. Nightlife is constantly evolving and were constantly trying to look forward, but we cant pretend we dont miss some of the older ones! Rainbow Hotel (Fitzroy) Welcome to The Spot Nightclub- An energetic club that throws Sydney's hottest weekly hip hop parties. Saffron was born in Sydney in 1919. These leave their traces in maps of the past, but require some translation. I remember walking from there to Sybils too. Macs 409 Club was definitely in the early 80s not 90s. Through the glass doors (behind that car in the middle there) and down a wide carpeted curving stairway walked thousands upon thousands of people down through the years. Can anyone give me any more information or links about Cinderella Rockefellers?? 1978 to 1981. Grant. INSANE. Just behind the delightfully daggy glamour of Darling Harbour is the neon-tinged, two-floor dance arena . on the Internet. NOTES: Chequers was one of the top cabaret venues in Australia from the late Fifties until the early 1970s. The maps presented in this article derive from a wider research project in progress by the author. She was acquitted of the crime and her trial gained significant national media attention at the time. In addition, a variety of contemporary accounts point to a negative feeling in Sydney live music in the 1990s, depicting the city as a tough place to get a gig or find a friend (Ausmusic 1993; Carroll & Connell 2000; Casimir 1990; Holmes 1993; Homan 2000; Johnson & Homan 2003). Again, the data presented in the maps above is not inconsistent with existing accounts, but adds nuance. How time flys, How about the bar that was under Stefans? Basement (Circular Quay) How much: $20Hot tip: Free entry if you arrive dressed to the weeks theme. As an introduction to this story of change felt in place, over time, this article discusses changes to live music in Australian cities between the 1980s and the 2000s, transitioning from an industry heyday of sorts, towards a more familiar landscape of organised activism focused on saving inner-city music venues (see, for example: Faulkner 2013; Homan 2011; Levin 2014). We already have this email. Flamingos was at the bottom of Little St off Wickham St, great club in the early 70s. Inside Sydney: Nightlife - Before you visit Sydney, visit Tripadvisor for the latest info and advice, written for travelers by travelers. Had a lot of different names..when Michael Jordan was the DJ. My City of Sydney was performed by Tommy Leonetti on Channel 9 during the 1970s as the station shut down for the evening. The rise and fall of Kings Cross nightlife - Yahoo! Be the first one to, podcast_fiftyup-club-podcast_sydneys-nightlife-50s_1000379842237, Advanced embedding details, examples, and help, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sydneys-nightlife-in-the-50s-and-60s/id1155464688?i=1000379842237, https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fiftyup-club-podcast/id1155464688, https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/786c8364-39c5-405d-bc45-a66c00116331/0fd84953-e9b0-4e99-b1e2-a6f8009753d1/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=23c878ef-b184-4fd3-b7ca-a66c0011de7d&t=1484126812, Terms of Service (last updated 12/31/2014). We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Darling Harbour. I remember it at the Manhattan. A 'junior' nightclub called the Birdcage, run by radio compere Peter Bergin was openbrieflyin the venue in 1963 after the theatre closed, and soon replaced byJohn Harrigan's Surf City, that occupied the building from 1963 until 1966 when the building was demolished, to bereplaced by the Crest Hotel. Located under theheritage Australian Gas Light Co building at the lower end of Pitt St, it lead a strong life holding a bunch of NRG nights and supporting some big names. As with the wider research project, earlier years rely more on Fairfax publications (The Age and Sydney Morning Herald), while in the 1990s this transitions to street press (Beat and Drum Media). The Primitif ran as a coffee lounge from the late 50s, but in about 65 or 66, the management (Peter?) Its as interactive as the final hours of a wedding reception with the throbbing Euro beats and high energy power pop required to charge your uninhibited dance batteries. Her trial gained significant national media attention at the time. Speaking on radio in 1997, lead singer Tim Freedman commented that Melbourne had a bigger sense of community, in pubs and being part of a crowd, while inner-city Sydney had been scattered to the wind (Australian Music Show, Triple J, 3 September 1997, quoted in Carroll & Connor 2000). My intererst was piqued. There are no reviews yet. Upstairs to Funhouse, venue home-base to Radio Birdman and alumni mid '70's. Nightclub in Sylvania Waters which featured drag shows. Chequers nightclub in Goulburn Street may now be a Chinese reflexology clinic and massage centre, but the sign remains at the top of the stairs that once led down to Sydney's most successful nightclub of the 1950s and '60s. First Floor (Fitzroy) A dark rumpus room of swirling disco tunes colliding with Adele remixes, the dancefloor here is thumping to a soundtrack of top notch. Her first was at Bondi Junction called Chez Ivy's. Directly across the way from Chequers and just 2 blocks from the Stage Door Tavern. As well as that,the Homestead was very big from the early 70s.One of the early resident bands was a group called The Clefswho were there for almost 2.5 years.The venue also had an aray of overseas stars at the time including Helen Shapiro,Louis Armstrong,Edward Woodward(a great baritone singer)as well as actor and others too numerous to mention.The Homestead at Zillmere was originally set up by a consortium of tennis professionals. Cathy Morris 2 min read January 13, 2015 - 12:00AM Parramatta Advertiser Thanks for subscribing! Model and magazine cover girl who shot and killed her lover, Arthur Griffith, outside Chequers Nightclub in 1954. 'There's the hustle and bustle - and the fact it is very different is what draws people to it. We get it :)You can support us by sharing this story or following us on Facebook. Esplanade Hotel (St Kilda) Disco music, then, evolved into rave music. We used to hang out at The Manhattan in the valley almost every night of the week. Site and contents 1997-2021 Cordite Publishing Inc. unless otherwise stated. So I was incorrect with the Warner St location, but not too far off. Band/Performer count: 266, Melbourne, 1994, most listed venues: But despite the often 'saucy' themes of the productions, Ms Dunn says: 'Today they'd be nothing - because the morals have changed of what is acceptable and what isn't acceptable', Decades on, Kings Cross remains a place of hustle and bustle - although in recent years there has been an uproar from venue owners with the closure of several popular nightclubs. Best for: Lettin' loose in summertime like Hollywood royalty. I was the drummer with the dominoes about 1965 or so. Was around til the end of 94. Or, seek out thesequeer-friendly partiesin Sydneyfor inclusive vibes and always fantastic beats. Corner Hotel (Richmond) Hellllp! In the clubs of the 1980s and 1990s there was no such thing as excess - ABC The nights began at 7.00pm and finished at 11.00pm. It was a great spot and should be included in your wonderful list. Early house/techno. Basement (Circular Quay), Gigs listed in one week: 469 cant see PICOLO ROMA.LATER TO BECOME.TONYS NITE CLUB..ON YOUR LIST, We used to call the Court Jester the Court Molester and Cinderella Rockafella Cinderella Bashafellla..haha ..Berties myer cente and Outrageous paddo tavern were two more 80s clubs, Hi brings back memories one thing Chequers nite club at 74 Elizabeth st was late 70 then it changed to pips nite club erliy 80 then change to Swizzles nite club 80 till it got pulled down for the myer center I worked at pips and swizzles I was Mick (Mick The Hoon) had the best times of my life at most of the places on this list, Allso it was TCs first then Uncles, checkers, pips and the last night club at 74 Elizabeth st was Swizzles with turned in to a strip club owner Brian and manager Johnny, Hi Mick Peter Evans I work at pips and swizzels for john and Brian on the door great memories. 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