We discover the best live music venues that Brisbane has to offer.
Editors Note: Not from Brisbane? That's okay, we've got Top Fives on the live venues in Sydney and Adelaide too!
Brisbane has it's own thriving music scene with some terrific bands and producers to call their own. Quite a few of these acts have obviously been brought into the spotlight over the past few years, others are still playing around their hometown just for the fun of it and there are plenty of great venues that will host them.
So not long ago we gave you all our Top Five live venues in Sydney. If you haven't read about it, you should check it out here, but for those who are all up to date, and are thinking of travelling sunny old Brisbane sometime soon, then here we have a list of great venues here for you.
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We have narrowed it down from a good handful of live music venues that are prime in Brisbane, but of course we can only pick five, and here at PURPLE SNEAKERS we are dedicated to giving you the best list possible because we want to share the best that Brisbane has too offer in live music.
That's what we do best!
For those who are fans of electronic music and just dancing your ass off, Bowler Bar is a must. Regularly hosting highly acclaimed international (like the lovely NINA KRAVITZ), and domestic electronic acts as well as residents like AIRWOLF, INDIAN SUMMER.
It's been dubbed 'the dungeon', namely so because the bar is actually located underneath another bar in the infamous Fortitude Valley, Bowler Bar has got a reputation for being the best dance club in Brisbane.
During the week Alhambra Lounge plays host to those who want to go out and have a good time dancing and drinking with their buddies, but come the weekend the venue hosts a series of amazing bands that everybody seem to flock to. Big names have stepped through these doors and they will continue to as Alhambra Lounge keeps booking those bands that everyone is loving.
The bands are never just the one genre either. Alhambra can go from DZ DEATHRAYS one day, with the mosh in full swing, to GOLD PANDA the next with chilled out electronica filling the venue.
Black Bear Lodge is by far the smallest venue on this list. Located above a Mexican restaurant in the centre of Brunswick Street Mall, it hosts a variety of bands within a small brick house overlooking the sea of chaos every weekend. Since it's such a small venue, the sound tends to bounce of the walls and hit you twice as hard, especially if it's an intensely loud band like DUNE RATS taking the stage.
But there you'll find lovely people looking to just relax and listen to the music because at Black Bear Lodge, that's what it's all about! plus the odd trivia night for you every now and again, making the place that much more awesome.
This is an exciting venue that has played host to some of the biggest names in music. The Zoo looks over Fortitude Valley from a large warehouse space above various retail stores and never fails to disappoint.
In the rare event that you're after a quick break from the music, heading up to the bar is the best option for you because the staff are friendly and always up for having a good time.
Oh Hello! puts on a pretty awesome party. WHAT SO NOT, TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS and many other great acts have graced the stage of the one venue in Brisbane that will give you an alcoholic beverage in a jam jar. The vibe is always good at Oh Hello, and it's the place to go if you just want to dance and have a good time.
Oh Hello has been known to host many festival after parties like Laneway Festival, so no doubt on the rare occasion that a music festival ventures to Brisbane and not the Gold Coast, this may be the place to go after the festivities have finished.
Words By Lauren Payne
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