Two Aussie live music venues are undergoing a state of flux this week; as one iconic club over in Fremantle faces an uncertain future, a Sydney bandroom is set to shut its doors following the negative impact of the lockout laws on the CBD’s ‘Entertainment Precinct’.
The Fly By Night Musician’s Club, a popular not for profit organisation that has operated in Fremantle’s Military Drill Hall since 1986, is facing concerns over the renewal of its current lease in negotiations with Western Australia’s National Trust who holds the contract to the heritage listed building.
Fly By Night’s current lease is set to expire in September this year, but the venue’s operators – who have been attempting to renegotiate the terms of the lease since June 2012 – have expressed concerns about competing interests for the lease and the National Trust’s backing given recent correspondence from the government body.
“On the 15th April 2014 the Club received notification from the National Trust WA (with recommendation from their Finance and Audit Committee) that they would be advertising for Expressions of Interest regarding the new lease for the Military Drill Hall, and that the Fly by Night Musicians Club is encouraged to submit an application,” write operators in a press statement. The National Trust has “advised the Club not to book acts after September 2014 … which threatens the livelihood of the business.”
It continues: “In previous years the lease has been renegotiated without the threat of competing expressions of interest. However, the drafted lease document was not completely signed off until six months later indicating the lease does not actually expire until the end of February 2015. Clarification on this issue has been requested to no avail.”
Fly By Night states that the National Trust has “advised the Club not to book acts after September 2014, or until the process is completed, which threatens the livelihood of the business.”
The venue’s board of directors have contacted the State body to “organise and urgent meeting to discuss these matters” and reiterate their position from June 2012 – to continue operating the Military Drill Hall as Fly By Night – but with “no discussion or explanation of future plans… or any direction in reference to the EOI process;” further accusing the National Trust of a “current lack of transparency in regard to the management of the Military Drill Hall.
The Fremantle venue has a very healthy selection of gigs booked through until September, including performances from King Crimson offshoot The Crimson ProjecKCt, folk duo The Audreys, Something For Kate’s Paul Dempsey, singer-songwriter Lior, and The Animals’ visit for their 50th Anniversary tour. For full dates, tickets, and details for all shows, head here.
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Over in Sydney, live music venue The Square has announced its final shows as it confirms it will be closing its doors on Sunday 13th July.
The 200-capacity rock-focussed bandroom, set in the basement of Haymarket venue The Palace Hotel, is set to close in a month’s time for refurbishments, with management unable to confirm if live music will continue to feature in the new look space once it reopens, as The Music reports.
Inside The Square (Source: Facebook)
The Square has regularly hosted punk, indie, and rock gigs on Friday and Saturday nights, with recent bands through its doors including the likes of Heads of Charm, Blank Realm, Born As Lions, Ivy St, and Dollar Bar. But the venue, which is located within the CBD precinct slugged with the strict 1:30am lockouts and 3am last drinks earlier this year, had been feeling the squeeze of the lockout laws and liquor restrictions.
Operators indicate to The Music that at “least one recent show was adversely affected” by punters and band members leaving well before the scheduled 2am close, “to ensure they were able to get into other venues” before the imposed lockouts.
All shows that were booked beyond the 13th July deadline (as far as September) have now all been relocated to alternate venues, with the last performances at The Square over the next two weeks including headline gigs from Wash, Darkhorse, a showcase from indie label No Good, and a final show of hardcore and punk, headlined by local heroes Post Blue. For full dates, tickets, and details for all shows, head here.
(Photo: Fly By Night. Source: Facebook)
