Popular Qld Live Music Venue Forced To Close: ‘We Can’t Do It Any Longer’

Punters are rallying behind Sunshine Coast venue Eleven Dive Bar after owners announced the live music space would be shutting its doors.

Owners behind the venue, Aaron Crump and Danielle Stafford, cited COVID and a “leaking roof” as the reason why they’re “pressing ‘pause’” and may not reopen.

“For the last 2 years we have slogged our hearts out to sustain something we love. Eleven,” they shared in a lengthy statement. 

“But we can’t do it any longer as the financial and mental health toll it has taken to keep it going is too much for us and our family. We have made the very difficult decision over the Christmas break to press ‘Pause’ and close the doors. We are unsure if this is a temporary or permanent situation right now."

Crump and Stafford said that “licensing delays, Covid, and Government mandates” targeted at the music industry are “making it almost impossible to trade”.

They added: “As if this wasn’t enough of a struggle for a new venue, we have also been dealing with our landlord QIC (an investment arm of the QLD Government), over the ongoing issue of our leaking roof which has been documented from day 1 of our tenancy, and that they have refused to acknowledge was an issue until part of the venues roof collapsed due to water ingress in December last year. 

“For over 12 months now we have been fighting with them to repair the damages and replace the roof, or relocate the venue into a space they requested us to move to at the beginning of our tenancy 6 weeks into our fit-out, as well as compensation for the huge financial losses we have sustained from the water ingress. 

“As the water ingress has continued into the venue almost weekly affecting trade and rendering integral parts of the space such as our second bar, sound desk area, disabled toilets and main area completely unusable and unsafe for staff and patrons, and damaged our custom made sound proofing, our sound desk area, and some of the internal structure, it has now become an untenable situation. 

“It has affected our ability to pay bands and suppliers, and our ability to secure further investment of funds that would see the business/venue prosper and grow. Our legal and accounting fees are huge, and debts are mounting due to the trading losses we have incurred and continue to incur from this ongoing issue. We cannot financially continue until this issue is rectified as its affecting the growth and sustainability of the business. We can’t even sell the venue with the issue currently unresolved. 

“The financial stress and mental health impacts from this along with the current issues within the industry of poor ticket sales, tour costs and last minute cancellations, and lack of post covid government support for the arts has put on us is immense. We are not a big company. We are just a small family business that have put their life savings into their dream and love of music.”

In a follow-up post, they thanked fans for “all the support during this shit show”, saying they were "humbled by all the messages and comments, and amazed at so many people offering to start a GoFundMe”.

“We are sifting thru the rubble and working out a way to remain open and financially viable whilst dealing with the roof leak. And we are hoping to work out a solution to issue with QIC soon. We are still yet to hear from them tho.”