Local venue licensees are rallying to combat Australia’s venue-closure epidemic giving the music industry the boost it deserves. The first glimpse of hope came with the re-opening of Melbourne institution The Tote, and now two inner Sydney venues have followed suit.
Community radio station (and regular Pedestrian cohorts) FBi Radio launched a pop up venue in Kings Cross in February. Since the launch, the venue called the FBi Social has hosted 40 live gigs with 80 featured bands, and today after a successful 12-week trial period it has been announced that FBi Social will become a permanent fixture at its current location, level 2 of the Kings Cross Hotel.
Also contributing to Sydney’s inner-city live music scene is Merivale Group CEO and robbery survivor Justin Hemmes, who will launch a brand new venue above Surry Hills watering hole, The Beresford. While we’re not yet sure what kind of acts will be playing the Beresford bill, it ought to be interesting to see how the venue fares, especially considering it’s positioned just a stone’s throw from The Houptoun – the much loved Surry Hills institution that has been indefinitely shut since 2009.
For more information visit:
FBi Social website
The Beresford
Any thoughts, comments or concerns?
Main image via The Beresford website.
