At Tone Deaf, we’d be hard pressed to name something we like more than music, but if you really forced us to, chocolate would probably be the strongest contender. That’s why we practically had tears of joy running when we heard about new Aussie live music venue The Sewing Room.
As Yahoo News reports, the duo behind Western Australia’s Margaret River Chocolate Company are opening a new live music venue inside their Perth facility. They want to help buck the trend of small live music venue closures in the city.
Company co-founders Martin Black and Patrick Coward will turn the basement of the Murray Street building that houses the Margaret River Chocolate Company into a 320-capacity live music venue with a view to hosting local and international acts.
The pair were reportedly disheartened by the recent closure of several small music venues in Perth, including The Bakery and Ya Ya’s, and are responding to a call from the local industry for more small-capacity venues.
“Word has quickly got out and we’ve had everyone from WAAPA to tour promoters to people who used to work at the venues that have closed saying this is fantastic, this is what Perth needs,” Mr Black told Yahoo News.
Perth’s small local venues are credited with helping turn the city into one of the main hubs for new talent in Australia, having provided the setting where the likes of Tame Impala, Pond, Eskimo Joe, and The Drones got their start.
Mr Coward said the idea behind The Sewing Room is to host international acts one day and “young people who’ve written a few songs in their garage in Vic Park and are looking for an audience and an opportunity” the next.
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“And, of course, those unpredictable magical moments when touring musical giants pop in unannounced after their show and jump on the piano,” he said. “The Sewing Room will be somewhere to go after big shows at the Perth Arena when everyone has music on their mind.”
Perth City Council has backed the proposal, subject to conditions, and the venue is currently awaiting approval for a liquor license. Provided everything goes to plan, The Sewing Room would be the second new live music venue to open in Perth this year.
According to Black and Coward, The Sewing Room will be able to host 320 punters and will be fitted with “world-class acoustics”, a dance floor, and a Steinway grand piano. The name, meanwhile, is a tribute to the building’s manufacturing history.
