The VROOM is a searchable database of music venues in NSW and was launched on 25th May 2006.
VROOM enables you to search for venues via genre, capacity, venue type, and region. It helps artists book tours, assist booking agents looking for new venues, and allows venues to promote themselves to the music industry worldwide.
The Red Sun Band Photo by Stevens Las Vegas Provided by Fasterlouder
IS YOUR VENUE LISTED?
Get your venue noticed and encourage more diverse music in your region.
It should only take you about 10 minutes to fill out the information.
As a venue you can log on anytime to edit this data. If you have not been emailed a username and password then you will need to create an account with both. After you have done this you can log on and enter the information needed for you to make the most out of this database.
The Byron Bay Arts and Music Festival’s will not return in January as planned. The festival, which ran from ’94 to ’96, was to be resurrected by a number of promoters and fans under the name Byron Bay Arts Crew. There was a blast of controversy, when Peter Noble of the bluesfest accused them of sneaking in a Splendour In The Grass-type event for a younger demographic, and for breaking a pact between local promoters they would not hold major events in Byron Bay during January because the area couldn’t cope with more people when it was already height of the tourist season.
But last week the Byron Bay Arts Crew announced that official approval from the local council had not come through. Generally events do go ahead with ticket sales after a preliminary “yes” from council. But the BBAC didn’t want to take the risk. In a statement it said, “With tickets due to go on sale later this month, organisers felt that cancelling the event was intensely regrettable yet the most responsible decision. The Byron Arts Crew (is) hopeful of resurrecting the festival in the future as it provides an important showcase opportunity for local music and arts as well as much needed entertainment to a vastly expanded Byron Bay population over summer.”
Online hub for writers, composers
APRA and AMCOS have set up a new website as a hub of information about songwriting, copyright, latest industry news and events. It’s at www.apra-amcos.com.au and, says Dean Ormston, Director Corporate Affairs & Communications, has improved navigation and functionality. An upcoming function is the Bridge, to bring together composers and consumers. It was designed and developed by Sydney-based interactive agency Webling Interactive
National touring initiative for contemporary performance
The Australia Council for the Arts invites tenders to develop, produce, manage, market and present a major national touring initiative for contemporary performance for the next three years. The budget for the initiative is $200,000 per year for three years, with the funds available from 1 July 2009. The initiative will run from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2012. Tenders must be lodged by email by 5pm local Sydney time on Monday 3 November 2008.Tenders should be send to:
Folkies ahoy
Folk Alliance Australia, the peak body for folk musicians and organisers has teamed with the National Folk Festival to find a way to help young musicians kick-start their way into the folk music scene. They're looking for people aged between fourteen and twenty-two and who play a folk-style instrument (guitar, fiddle, recorder, voice) write their own songs or play in a small group. You need to be nominated by your local folk festival or folk club by 31 October. The ten best will play in a national competition at the 2009 National Folk Festival in Canberra (Easter long weekend). Prizes include a booking at the folkfest and recording time. More info, www.folkalliance.org.au. Or contact its Development Manager Christina Mimmocchi by emailing or phone 0410 682061.
Clubbers get scanned
Sultan's Nightclub in Civic in Canberra has adopted a new security system called NightKey. It involves scanning IDs of patrons as they enter, along with a digital photo and a scan of their fingerprint. Australian Council for Civil Liberties president Terry O'Gorman told the Canberra Times it was a gross violation of privacy and called it "heavy handed ... arrogant (and) unjustified" and asked for the ACT government to step in and ban it. But Sultan's says it'll help identify violent clubbers, stop under-age drinking and the use of fake IDs and stop trouble-makers entering the premises.
Surry Hills' White Horse Hotel gets award
The White Horse Hotel in Surry Hills won the best hotel award in the City of Sydney 2008 Business Awards. The venue, on Crown Street went up against The Cauliflower Hotel, The Harlequin Inn and Home Nightclub. General Manager Simon Mercier provides free live entertainment around the White Piano (on Thursday and Sundays) and offers free entry to DJs on Friday & Saturday nights.
Timeout's Top 10 Sydney Venues
Timeout gives the lowdown on the top 10 venues for live music in Sydney.
Jellyfish Music presents "SYD. FRESH SHOWCASE 2009"
The Sydney Fresh Industry Showcases kick off this summer. Each night will showcase unsigned Sydney bands, singer songwriters, MC's, composers and other forms of musical expression that demand showcasing!
Huge prizes to be won, including a world class EP recording and CD pressing, cash prizes and much more. After four years of running in Melbourne, this is set to be the best mid week showcase in town. Accepting applications now! To get involved in this great initiative, contact nicole@getpoison.com or call 0423 196 841
Sydneys Basement re-opens
The Basement club at Circular Quay celebrated its re-opening after five months and $750,000 of refurbishments with a party. Owner Tim Read and Tim Freedman addressed guests who chowed down on sushi and chicken wraps. Lord Mayor Clover Moore cut the ribbon and Freedman, Ides Of North, Tina Harrod and Jonathon Schwartz played. The club now has a new upstairs area, bistro and entrance (hence a new Macquarie Place address).
Melbourne's 2am lockout scrapped
The misfire known as the 2am lockout on 487 venues has come to an end. The government has said the trial was a success (even though one third of the venues managed to get exemptions) and it lowered violence in the entertainment strip. But it will not be extended after Sept 1st. The venues say the trial was "ill-advised" as they were not consulted beforehand, and that violence was down because of increased police presence, "which is what we had been hasking for".
Newcastle Curfew to widen?
The 3am curfew for clubs in Newcastle's central business district may extend to all areas in the local area command.
Police are pushing for it saying assaults in Newcastle and Newcastle West dropped between 19% and 42%, late at night and early mornings, because of it.
civic hotel calls for artists
The refurbished Civic Hotel's new Entertainment Manager, Clive Morley, wants bands and DJ's who want to play there to contact him at clive@clivemorley.com. Also promoters with ideas for new nights.
SOUND TRAVELLERS
Applications are now open for the second round of Sound Travellers for tours running 1 January - 31 December 2009.
Sound Travellers provides grants to Australian artists for National touring in the following genres of new music for travel and marketing costs. The program also aims to develop viable touring opportunities for musicians/sound artists performing sound art/electronica, new jazz/improvisation and contemporary classical music through promoting audience access and developing networks.
Applications close Monday 22 September with decisions announced in November 2008. Contact info@soundtravellers.com.au (02) 9319 0066 or visit www.soundtravellers.com.au for details.
When a Brisbane businessman heard there was a working bee on at Byron Bays recently re-opened Coorabell Hall, he offered to donate $2000 for materials. When informed a donation of that size could be made through the Australia Business Arts Foundation and be tax deductible he increased his pledge to $4000. He asked to remain anonymous.
Sounds In The Ground heard again
Sounds In The Grounds will return for its second year, to Sydney University on Saturday October 18th. On the bill are expatriates Midnight Juggernauts doing their only NSW show, British India, Van She, Children’s Collide, Bluejuice, Sydney’s Lost Valentinos, and Brisbane triple j-uncovered Numbers Radio and [is].
Fat As Butter launches
A new festival launches in Newcastle under the name Fat As Butter. Held on Sunday Nov 2, at Camp Shortland (opposite Nobby’s Beach), the first round of acts include The Dandy Warhols, Faker, Regurgitator, The Potbelleez, Butterfingers, Ajax and more.
The White Horse on Crown Street, Surry Hills in Sydney, reports that its move to present free entertainment on Sundays 5.30-8.30pm is paying off. Blues & roots act The Myall High Club have been picked up for management by Ian Hulme from the Choirboys as a result, while big jazz names like bass player John Conley, jazz pianist Ray Foster and saxophonist Craig Walters are also swinging by to jam.
Sydney's Basement club has a new address but remains in the same location. After 35 years owners did a renovation with a new bar and bistro — and a new front door, which means its new address is 7 Macquarie Place in Circular Quay. The Lord Mayor Clover Moore will reopen the new look venue on Tuesday Aug 26.
UN Sydney closed for renovations, denied 24hour license
UN Sydney/DCM has closed for renovations until further notice. The club will move to the Havana 169 Oxford St. The "Sydney Morning Herald" adds that UN Sydney was refused a 24-hour trading licence after police said it had insufficient security, was patronised by bikie gangs and often overcrowded. An affidavit from Sgt Peter Mort stated that on one occasion police counted 800 people above the official figure of 178 recorded by security guards.
A survey of 40 Sydney and regional clubs and pubs has found that despite millions being spent on ensuring that smokers stay outside, to keep the air inside nice and clean, many still have "poor" air quality. Conducted by the State Government’s Public Health Unit, the survey revealed that more than half the outdoor areas had readings exceeding the World Health Organisation’s recommended limit.
The survey attempts to bring into question the effectiveness of the indoor smoking bans introduced last July.
ClubsNSW CEO, David Costello, said the survey simply claims the air quality in outdoor smoking areas is inferior to the air inside a club where smoking bans are enforced.
“This unpublished study, which visited just 0.01 per cent of venues across the state, is most likely part of a campaign for a complete ban on smoking,” Costello said.
“Clubs have invested well over $400 million building outdoor areas so that smokers wouldn’t take their habit to the streets.”
“Common-sense says large, comfortable outdoor areas are the only way to control smokers, and restrict their butts from ending up in our street gutters and ultimately our waterways.”
Tamworth gets new venue
Country music capital Tamworth's new 400-seat Capitol Theatre will be open in October. It is part of the new, almost completed Centrepoint Shopping Centre behind the Tamworth Town Hall. The first event there is the local musical society's staging of "The Boy From Oz" later this year. The Tamworth Independent Artist Recognition Awards (TIARAs) is held there in January.
As we tipped, the refurbished Kings Cross Hotel has introduced a new weekly Saturday night from Aug 16 at its enclosed nightclub Copperlily courtesy Boundary Sounds. Held over two floors, it's gritty guitars downstairs. Upstairs is booty-shaking party jams courtesy resident djs Johnny Rad, PhDj, Steve Lind and Mahic Happens covering from hip hop, electro, Baltimore, indie, disco, punk funk and even touches of favela booty, crunk and everything in between.
NSW clubs recorded their worst financial year yet, blaming new indoor smoking bans for a $385 million fall in income. Clubs NSW said that club income in the 2007/08 financial year fell 11% compared to the same period the year before.
Byron's Coorabell hall restarts
Byron Bay's Coorabell Hall will restart live bands and dance events for a six month trial, after a ban was slapped on these in April. It was due to a complaint by a single resident, and the Coorabell Hall Association decided to cave in than incur legal costs. But on July 21 at its AGM, three new executives were elected in — and they want to bring the music back. The new faces are George Lewin (president), Simon Fraser (secretary) and Ian and Janet Kneale treasurer and vice president respectively. If you want to be involved, contact Lewin on 6684 1114 or Fraser on 6684 7417.
Collect money for your recordings
Important Notice for Australian Recording Artists “Cut off” for registrations for PPCA’s current distribution is 30 September 2008. If you are an Australian recording artist whose music is being broadcast or you hold the copyright in recordings that are receiving airplay, then you may be able to share in licence fees collected by PPCA.
The Loft Bar, at UTS, made a claim on becoming a hot Sydney undergrond venue with the launch in August of a new program featuring eight different nights spread across a monthly roster.
The Thursdays have "Reggae On A School Night", a roots and reggae night presented by Firehouse and Basslines (FBi).
"Flunked" is a new free night covering funk and soul, indie, hip hop, and electronica.
"Beatfigher" / "Feed Timing" is a bi-monthly nights designed to support new talent with cash prizes. "Feeding Time" is an MC comp and "Beatfighter" is a producer based night with live demos of everything from scratching, beatmaking, Ableton and live drums.
"Wax'ed" is a free DnB, grimme, dub step and hip hop night featuring live acts and DJ's as Inna Riddim, Kobra Kai, Dazed & Fawless, D
Tech, Garage Pressure, Lincoln, Vertigo, Mode, Aggrovator, Reload and Gotham.
Fridays has hip hop night "Proper", while "Juiced" has Hiphop, Funk, Breaks, Baltimore, Bassline, Garage, Fidget, Booty Bass, Ghetto Tech with resident DJs Hugga Thugg, Shamozzle, Max Billionaire, Wax Motiff, Temnien and Jarrad Bleechmore.
Simon Caldwell and Harry Sounds present "Hang Up Your Hang Ups", a monthly Friday evening foray into boogie down beats and left of centre dance. From modern soul to afro beat, from latin funk to cosmic disco.
Despite protests, the Byron Youth Activities Centre still remains closed to live music, 18 months after closing. Byron Shire Council closed it as an entertainment venue because it didn't have a Place of Public Entertainment licence, and didn't want any hassles from local residents. However the council is calling for tenders to do some physical work on the building to make it eligible for a licence. It hopes it will open doors to bands by December.
In South Australia, the government has ruled out making a 3 am lockout a law, and would keep it as a voluntary thing. Last week, operators of the 12 venues who have refused to join the trial asked to meet Police Commissioner Mal Hyde to discuss city crime rates. Police say that serious assaults jumped 117% in the area where these clubs are located, in the first three months of 2008.
NO MORE PoPES
The State’s Upper House has approved landmark reforms which will deliver a more efficient and transparent planning system for NSW.
Planning Minister Frank Sartor said the changes would cut red tape for ordinary homeowners and small businesses and introduce independent decision-making into the system.
“This Upper House vote is the culmination of more than a year spent studying national and international trends, holding forums and seeking public feedback,” Mr Sartor said.
“The Bills passed overnight are in keeping with what is being done across the country – in recent weeks, both South Australia and Victoria have announced further reforms.
Mr Sartor said, “We have also slashed red tape for the live music and entertainment industry by abolishing rules which require venues to obtain place of public entertainment (POPE) licenses.”
MusicNSW appreciates the support of Ministers and members of the NSW parliament who have assisted with this progressive action.
In light of these changes, Department of Planning are working with a consultant and a group of industry representatives to develop Guidelines for entertainment venues and to review the EP&A Regulation and SEPP to ensure that the system will become simpler. The guidelines will assist applicants, operators, councils, private certifiers etc on how the new system will work.
NSW pubs/clubs make money
Despite the moaning about loss of money after smoke bans, NSW’s pubs and clubs are making money, reports the “Sydney Morning Herald”. It says that figures released this week by the Bureau of Statistics showed that turnover reached $742 million in April, 15 per cent more than a year ago. The figures showed monthly turnover at NSW cafes and restaurants dropped 12 per cent in a year while takeaway food sales like McDonald's and KFC and small fish and chip shops - have risen 9 per cent in the past year. National retail sales fell 0.2 per cent in April, the third monthly fall in the year.
Music Associations such as the Music Managers Forum have been lobbying the government both for tax rebates, which will increase corporate and private investment in acts and businesses, and to provide more tax breaks for musicians on welfare.
Neither of these requests were addressed in the Government’s budget this week - the first by the ALP, which came into office late last year with Peter Garrett as Arts Minister. However, it allocated $1.7 million over four years to amend immigration regulationws which compel concert promoters to have at least one Australian support act on the bill during an international tour.
The budget provided $2.4 million over the four years for the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP), whose mail-out service independent labels and acts use to get their CDs to college radio stations. Since its setup in 2000, it has distributed 100,000 CDs. AMRAP’s funding was cut in 2005 by the Howard regime.
The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia called it “a mixed bag for community broadcasters.” It also applauded the government for including community broadcasters in the first stage of the digital radio rollout, with funding of $11.2 million provided over three years, commencing in the 2009/10 financial year. But this causes a hole in the 2008/9 year when planning has to be done, and the CBAA plans to meet the appropriate ministers to see if some kind of “bridge” funding can be worked out.
The Australia Council’s chief executive, Kathy Keele, says the Budget has “some very significant wins for the arts.” She cites two initiatives worth $11.8 million over four years which the Council will administer - to include an artist-in-residence program in schools and colleges, and to encourage arts companies to provide musicians and artists with showcase opportunities
The NSW government is getting tough on the 23 roughest pubs/clubs in the state, demanding they explain why they should not lose their licences.This has been applauded by the state opposition, police and the hotel industry (sort of), reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell thinks the 3am lockout is the answer. Gaming and Racing Minister Graham West told Fairfax Radio the government was working with the venues to find solutions, like more security and security teams roaming the streets outside the clubs. The Australian Hotels Association (AHA)’s position is that a club curfew should be imposed case by case, and always in association with other strategies.
The Hexham Bowling Club near Newcastle is about to return to action after its $2 million renovation, which includes a new auditorium. It holds a concert on June 14th with Catherine Britt and Newcastle singer-songwriter Troy Kemp.
The WA state government has indicated it will support police calls to introduce changes to liquor licensing law to introduce a lockout to Perth pubs and nightclubs after a 12 month trial. They will close two hours before their allotted hours. Smokers who step out of the venues to have a puff will not be allowed back in. Police, nightclub owners and council reps will meet next month to discuss.
Queensbridge is a new 1600-capacity room in Melbourne with a near-amphitheatre look. It was a dance-style room for ages when it was QBH’s mezzanine level. It’s got four bars and set up for live concerts.
Long time booker Owen Orford is looking after it and contacted at owen@superiorit.net.au
The Gaelic in Surry Hills has bought 200 seats, and can now do theatre style events. The club's mezzanine level will be turned into a Cocktail Bar for these nights. It means the Gaelic can introduce jazz & blues, roots and acoustic shows.
Conrad Jupiters is giving up in-house entertainment and turning itself into a venue for music theatre. The first production at the 1,000-capacity Jupiters Theatre will be "The Merchant of Bollywood" from Mumbai, India, July 1 to October 19.
Dada Records in Perth has opened its doors to live bands for the first time in ten years. Joe Bludge and Mink Mussel Creek played there on the weekend.
