EXCLUSIVE: Your First Look Inside The New Live Music Venue From Gyroscope's Rob Nassif

An advocate for local music, Rob Nassif has been part of the WA live music scene since Gyroscope kicked off nearly two decades, and with revered rehearsal space Hen House to his name, it made sense the drummer would eventually open a music venue that shines a spotlight on upcoming talent.

The announcement of Hen House Live launching Sept 3 alongside the revamped Badlands Bar in Northbridge received an overwhelming response, and since then Nassif has been refining the space to reflect his “dream rock’n’roll bar”.

It’s an intimate, “quirky” venue, with a capacity of up to 100, ideal for bands wanting to play their first gig or test new material to a smaller crowd. “As a musician, you’ll really get the feel of what it’s like to play to a packed room,” Nassif told theMusic.com.au. “You’ll get the energy and the vibe of it all instead of bands playing to 80 people in a 600 person venue where they’ll kind of lose that energy…I think bands are going to really benefit from it and it should be really cool.”

But it’s not just about giving the bands an idea space to play, rather guiding them through the experience, with a streamlined online application form that will help Nassif build a similar community to the one he’s curated at Hen House Rehearsal Studios.

“I’m going to favour any bands that have played zero shows to ten shows, and guarantee them a gig down at the space. And then what I’ll do is, if you’re a pop-punk band with your first ever show, I’ll pair you with another pop-punk band that might’ve played fifty shows.

“What will happen is that young pop-punk band gets to see the guys who have played 50+ shows and what they do on stage, their professionalism, their quality of their songs. And because there are only two bands on every bill there’s a really good chance you’re going to meet each other and you’re going to hang out. “

"I’ve seen that in Gyroscope and I’m all about nurturing the dream."

Going the extra mile, Nassif will be providing backline to the bands with Marshall, Orange and Ampeg cabs on offer and a Pearl Masters “kickass” drum kit on the stage, meaning bands can further explore those new networks over a couple of drinks without worrying about loading in, setting up a million things, and being forced to drive in rather than catch an Uber. “I think when a band gets to experience all of those things together – playing a show with their buddies to a packed room with great sound, cool vibes, cheap booze, and cool tunes afterwards – it reminds you that being in a band and being a musician is the most fun thing ever.”

There’s a hole-in-the-wall bar across from the stage, which adds a wealth of charisma to the room, just like the murals painted by Jackson Harvey throughout; a style choice brought across from Nassif’s rehearsal rooms. There's also “Dream Baby Dream” painted opposite the stage —  a fitting site for upcoming acts to be starring it.

“From little things big things grow - I’ve seen that in Gyroscope and I’m all about nurturing the dream…at the heart of it, it’s so essential for musicians, no matter how many shows they’ve played, to dream.

“Gyroscope’s written four albums and we’re currently writing our fifth. I’m still dreaming that we’re going to write the greatest song we’ve ever written every time we jam. So it’s all about making young bands realise, 'Hey, it might be crazy now but your band might be recording an album in Los Angeles in a years’ time.' You just never know.”

Head over to the Hen House Live website for registation details and all gig dates. Head to the launch party this Saturday.