The fate of much-loved East Coast venue chain The Hi-Fi is now a little clearer, with a recent statement from Australian promoters The Venue Collective announcing that they will be taking on all bookings for the three venues.
The Venue Collective are best known as the group who book live music venues such as the Corner Hotel and 170 Russell in Melbourne, the Newtown Social Club in Sydney, and the Woolly Mammoth in Brisbane, handling all bookings and promotion for six venues in total around the East Coast.
According to a leaked email acquired by Tone Deaf, The Venue Collective have been asked to take on bookings for the three former Hi-Fi venues — Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane — which were put into administration last month.
More interestingly, however, the statement confirms that the Hi-Fi chain will be “rebranded, renovated and relaunched” under a new name, Max Watt’s.
The name will be familiar to those who’ve been following the Hi-Fi closely since its financial straits were revealed back in February. Max Watt’s is the name of the company co-owned by Kathryn Ann Hamblin, the figure who first put the Hi-Fi into administration.
As Tone Deaf revealed earlier this month, Ms Hamblin came into ownership of the Hi-Fi chain after placing the venues into administration once it became apparent that the company would not be able to repay her $5 million loan.
At the time, it was unclear just what the future of the venues would be. While there were indications that the venues would continue to operate as live music outlets, it was not known if they would do so under the Hi-Fi brand-name.
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The venues’ new booker will be The Venue Collective’s Ashlea O’Loughlin. “I’m really excited to know that the venues will continue to exist as live music spaces and am looking forward to working with the new owners and staff teams at each of the venues,” she said.
As for the Hi-Fi’s employees, it is not known if the overhaul will include a staff shake-up. Speaking to Tone Deaf earlier this month, Live Booking Director James Power said the chain’s new owners had retained all venue staff.
Power, who has been at the Hi-Fi for the last six-and-a-half years, indicated this was done as part of an effort to “ensure the transition is as smooth as possible with all business running as normal”.
While there are still obviously many unanswered questions about the direction that the Hi-Fi will be taking in the coming months, it appears that punters along the East Coast won’t be losing their Hi-Fi any time soon.
