As Tone Deaf covered last month, there’s plenty of reasons to be excited about the live music business in Australia. Loads of live music venues have opened up in the past few months. So many, in fact, that we felt the need to compile a list of the 11 best.
However, while there’s plenty of freshly minted Aussie venues enjoying plenty of business and great tunes, The Music Network is reporting the closure of four venues that supported live music. That’s right, four venues closed in the span of a month.
In Sydney, the Bourbon in Kings Cross was sold to a developer for a reported sum of $25 million. According to The Music Network, C.inc Property, Hotels and Leisure’s Christopher Cheung bailed after the lockouts affected business.
Meanwhile, Adelaide’s The Stag went into administration last month, citing competition from “pop ups”. A buyer was found, but the landlord refused to extend the lease claiming he’s owed over $20,000 in rent and the club was forced to close its doors.
Also in Adelaide, the tax office applied to wind up 2 North Terrace Pty Ltd, which runs the Royal in Kent Town. It follows a spate of venue closures in Adelaide, including The Dog and Duck and the Colonel Light, while the Duke of York is in receivership.
According to a Facebook pot by Stag owners, another venue close by would also soon be shutting doors. Meanwhile, in Townsville, the owners of the iconic Commonwealth Hotel decided to sell up after a decade for lifestyle reasons.
The Wallacia Hotel in Sydney is also up for sale, although The Music Network is reporting that it’s not currently known if the new owner will keep it as a live music venue.
