Queensland Venues Share Their Best Gig Memories
People's Choice Awards voting for the 2021 Queensland Music Awards opened yesterday via theMusic.com.au. We recently caught up with the Venue Of The Year nominees, both metro and regional, to relive some of their best gig memories.
Metro Venue Of The Year Nominees
BANSHEES BAR & ARTSPACE
Image: Death by Carrot @ Banshees Bar & Artspace. Pic by Nina Weaver
Best venue memory?
"Watching Kirstin Berardi and the Brisbane Conduction Orchestra performing a sold out gig to a silent, enthralled, and tearful audience."
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BLACK BEAR LODGE
Image: Robert Forster @ Black Bear Lodge. Pic by Will Johnstone
Best venue memory?
"One of the best events of 2020 was the first weekend dancing was allowed back. Black Bear Lodge was at capacity all night long and it was beautiful to see Black Bear's crowd coming through and bringing the venue back to life."
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BRISBANE JAZZ CLUB
Image: Funky Miracle @ Brisbane Jazz Club. Pic by Geoff Norris
Best venue memory?
"With approximately 190 shows each year (except 2020) it is hard to pick one show. To choose a stand out show we would nominate a show on Friday 18 September 2020 - Aaron West Delivers The Blues. The line-up was Aaron West with three custom Fender Stratocasters and a Dobro. Matt Smith, lead guitarist from Thirsty Merc, with his red 1966 Epiphone Casino. Kirk Lorange, with a mid-'60s Fender Stratocaster, purchased in London and set up by fabled luthier, Seymour Duncan. Louie Shelton on a 1952 Fender Telecaster who has a list of achievements and played with dozens of well known international artists. John Whyte on piano and electronic keyboard. Chris Pearson on a 1972 Fender Precision electric bass. Mr. Super-Cool, James Sandon - on tenor sax and drums. Shufflin' Joe Delalande on drums. Harmonica player, Mark Doherty, who regularly stepped up out of the audience, with his little silver case of blues harps."
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EATONS HILL HOTEL
Image: BONKA @ Eatons Hill Hotel. Pic by David Fell
Best venue memory?
"Best venue memory is Prince playing his last ever Brisbane show at Eatons Hill Hotel or having Post Malone play to a sold-out crowd of 8,000 people on the Eatons Hill Hotel Green."
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IPSWICH CIVIC CENTRE
Image: Ipswich Civic Centre. Pic by Rayment Photographics
Best venue memory?
"For 2020 our best memory would easily be our first live show after lockdown with SASTA. During our close down, we participated with the 'leave your ghost light on' campaign with the message 'WE WILL BE BACK!'. It was a huge delight for all the staff to start the show with a short and sweet ceremony with our audience, when we turned our ghost light off, heralding the return to live gigs."
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LEFTY'S MUSIC HALL
Image: LR Marsh @ Lefty's Music Hall. Pic by Ali Rasoul
Best venue memory?
"Mick Thomas created lasting memories for the venue, he is an Australian singer-songwriter, producer, guitarist and hotelier. Thomas was the founding mainstay of a folk-rock group The Sure Thing."
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MO'S DESERT CLUBHOUSE
Image: Osaka Punch @ Mo's Desert Clubhouse. Pic by Samantha Townsend (Melting Wax Photography)
Best venue memory?
"Our best memory of 2020 was the day that dancing was allowed back into our lives. Almost a year of stagnant movement at performances was draining the energy on the daily from performers, punters and the venue as a whole. The first dancing gig back of 2020 saw an ecstatic energy lift the roof off the venue. It was a terrible day in bar sales, there was no-one still enough to hold a beer, but it didn't matter. The night was electric, the band performing had rebirth on stage as the sweaty heat from body parts flailing around the dance floor in front of them lifted them from their nine-month COVID slump. Punters were beaming with joy as they finally could move to music that spoke to their souls. As a venue, it gave us hope that there will be an end to the dark days of the COVID tunnel."
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STUDIO 188
Image: John Keenan @ Studio 188. Pic by Damien Bredberg
Best venue memory?
"In August of 2019, Studio 188 launched its first youth songwriting program in collaboration with BEMAC and the I Heart Songwriting Club. One of the young emerging artists that took part in that program was Paulina Schuemann. Paulina came on board never having written an original song before, and shortly after her 10-week songwriting journey she performed as part of the venues Ipswich Unearthed program and grew her professional music knowledge. She put this knowledge into practice by launching her music profile and performing at venues all over Ipswich and Brisbane. Her first ever single which she released was a song she wrote as part of the songwriting program, and this song now has over 45k listens on Spotify. Our favourite venue memory from 2020 was being able to provide her with the opportunity to support one of her all-time favourite artists, Jack Botts, at his 18th Floor tour in November."
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THE BRIGHTSIDE
Image: Raave Tapes @ The Brightside. Pic by Will Johnston
Best venue memory?
"At Valley Fiesta in 2020 we put on a show featuring a number of Brisbane musicians for charity and called it Expo 88. On the night, there were members of The Jungle Giants, Ball Park Music, Hatchie, Rinse, Sweater Curse, The Grates, Bugs, Sycco, Hallie, Clea and more that helped make up the band."
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THE FORTITUDE MUSIC HALL
Image: The Flaming Lips @ The Fortitude Music Hall. Pic by Claudia Ciapocha
Best venue memory?
"The Dune Rats show was pretty epic and obviously hosting the QMAs for the first time and seeing all of the Queensland music industry in the same space!"
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THE TIVOLI
Image: Hands Like Houses @ The Tivoli. Pic by Lachlan Douglas
Best venue memory?
"In 2018, The Tivoli presented Prophets Of Rage, an American rap rock supergroup. Formed in 2016, the group consisted of three members of Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, two members of Public Enemy, and rapper B-Real of Cypress Hill. The show was one of the most electric shows to have ever played the venue, and soon after Tom Morello recalled The Tivoli show in his session on 'Masterclass' as one of the most perfect sets they have ever played. The show was originally scheduled for Riverstage but relocated as an All Ages show at The Tivoli. We created an area close to the stage were the 30 under 18s guests could attend with their parents, and it was incredible to watch such young people being witness and transformed by the power of incredibly political and empowering rap music. "
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THE TRIFFID
Image: Bernard Fanning @ The Triffid. Pic by Kate Jean
Best venue memory?
"The best memory was seeing the return of live music after the lockdown. We collaborated with Ball Park Music, a home-grown Queensland band who celebrated their album launch week with a full venue takeover. 13 shows over seven nights was a thrill to see."
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THE ZOO
Image: The Zoo
Best venue memory?
"Gosh there is SO many.... Paul Kelly playing the secret show would have to be the top. A Wil Wagner show where he literally stopped in the middle of a song, looked out at the crowd in disbelief, and they sang the entire song back to him while he stood and listened. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes literally walked out on top of the crowd's hands and played a crazy guitar solo. AND most recently hearing that speaker fire up after all those months closed and seeing music on the stage again made me feel so so lucky. "
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VINNIES DIVE
Image: VOIID @ Vinnies Dive. Pic by Peter Wheeler
Best venue memory?
"The Chats playing our small shit hole."
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WOOLLY MAMMOTH MANE STAGE
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Image: Woolly Mammoth Mane Stage. Pic by @ummagummamumma
Best venue memory?
"2020 held a lot of uncertainly for the venue and for the industry as a whole. We had to navigate through the ever-changing circumstances and restrictions put in place, however, July 18 being able to hold our first show back after being closed was a memory of hope, one that a lot of us still remember. Having 100 people seated and spaced apart while rocking out to live, local metal bands gave us that momentum to keep going and that live music wasn't dead."
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Regional Venue Of The Year Nominees
EMPIRE THEATRE
Image: Stu Larsen @ Empire Theatre. Pic by Jarrad Seng
Best venue memory?
"Being able to welcome people back into the venue – albeit under tight restrictions – after a four-month closure was very special. Staff, patrons, volunteers and artists alike felt the importance of the soft re-opening as it opened the pathway back to normality and the restarting of the live music/event industry. Being able to start that journey with Project 62 and the debut of their single Mutuggerah was especially poignant."
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NIGHTQUARTER
Image: NightQuarter Live Stage. Pic by Lisa Pearl
Best venue memory?
"Our Opening Night was on Friday 6 November 2020. As the gates to the venue opened for the first time, Sarah McLeod played a grand piano elevated five metres above the crowd on a platform created from scaffolding. The scaffolding had been repurposed after being used in the construction of the site, laying dormant for six months after construction shut down during lockdown. Representing ‘taking music to new heights', it was the start of a new era for music on the Sunshine Coast. The jam-packed night of entertainment featured exclusively Queensland acts, and was the culmination of a five-year journey since the venue originally opened on the Gold Coast in 2015. As (socially distanced) crowds of people came into the venue for opening night, seeing the surprise and delight on faces being graced by local live music from the absolute legend Sarah McLeod after an eight-month hiatus is something we won't forget."
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OTHERWISE BAR
Image: Alex Lahey @ Otherwise Bar. Pic by Luke Mcleod
Best venue memory?
"It’s hard to name one but so far our opening night. It was always a gamble opening a live music venue in a regional centre, and we weren’t 100% sure how it would go. We ended up selling out two weeks in advance and hundreds of punters packed in to catch an all Qld lineup. It felt amazing to see everyone smiling ear to ear that night!"
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SANDSTONE POINT HOTEL
Image: PNAU @ Sandstone Point Hotel. Pic by Curdin
Best venue memory?
"Personally, I have so many incredible memories at the venue. Some of the highlights include seeing Bryan Adams sing Summer Of 69, a song that brings so many memories flooding to mind. More recently, I also really loved seeing up and comer Eves Karydas on stage after she had taken out #22 for Complicated on the triple j Hottest 100 not long before. Her vocals reminded me of Lana Del Ray, and for someone so fresh on the scene, I did not expect a performance so exceptional. It is always really nice to be surprised by an artist I may not be as familiar with. Xavier Rudd also left me speechless recently, playing multiple instruments simultaneously to perfection."
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SOLBAR
Image: The Dreggs @ Solbar. Pic by Hayden Cervi
Best venue memory?
"After 10 years, there are so many! So let us stick to the most recent. After collaborating with some local community members, Solbar gained the opportunity to sponsor a Xavier Rudd fundraising show in March 2020. The event saw nearly $37,000 raised for the Queensland Koala Crusaders to help in disaster relief after the devastating 2020 bushfires. The show started with a beautiful Welcome To Country by local Gabi Gabi elder Lyndon Davis, he was then joined by two more Gabi Gabi men, and a display of traditional dancing. Xavier Rudd then took 450 fans (and all the staff!) through the most amazing and intimate show of music and stories. I've never heard the room so quiet as to when Xavier took to his storytelling. An amazing night, and an even better outcome."
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THE EVENTS CENTRE, CALOUNDRA
Image: Adrian Eagle @ The Events Centre. Pic by QMusic
Best venue memory?
"Re-opening the venue back up following approx. five months of closure without shows… that first night when the lights went down, and the artists came onto the stage with thunderous applause from an audience that hadn’t seen live music in many months… that was just an incredible and magic moment!!!"
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