Your Guide To The 2021 QMAs Metro Venue Of The Year Nominees
Have your say!
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."
---------------------------------------
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."
---------------------------------------
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."
---------------------------------------
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."
---------------------------------------
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."
---------------------------------------
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."
---------------------------------------
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."
---------------------------------------
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."
---------------------------------------
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."
---------------------------------------
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!"
---------------------------------------
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. "
---------------------------------------
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."
---------------------------------------
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. "
---------------------------------------
VINNIES DIVE
Image: VOIID @ Vinnies Dive. Pic by Peter Wheeler
Best venue memory?
"The Chats playing our small shit hole."
---------------------------------------
WOOLLY MAMMOTH MANE STAGE
Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter
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."
---------------------------------------
More From Our Network
