Is Brisbane The Answer To Australia’s Dying Music Venue Scene?
Going to school in Brisbane, all everyone ever wanted to do was turn eighteen because when you were eighteen you could go out to the Valley.
Fortitude Valley for those playing at home is the vicinity of bars, clubs, and pubs all within walking distance of each other. It’s the most fun any eighteen-year-old or anyone for that matter could possibly handle. At the time I didn’t know how good Brisbane was for its music and going out scene, until I moved to other parts of the country and realised you had to get five Ubers to get anywhere or in most cases – the venues were sold out to corpo dogs to turn it into another beige linen wearing vicinity. Having travelled up to Brisbane for Bigsound lately I was pleasantly reminded of some venues that I’ve enjoyed many good nights even if the details are a bit hazy. Here they are:
The Zoo is a female run venue built from the ground up with a panache for nurturing Brisbane’s live music scene. With the likes of The Pixies, Paul Kelly and Nick Cave and the Dirty Three gracing its stage, you know you’re in for a show with a musician that will likely turn out to be an icon.
Having personally caught a few bands here when I was still sweet sixteen, the Tivoli elicits a warm fuzzy feeling that only a venue with some damn good memories can. Just about any artist who comes through Brisbane plays here and for good reason. It’s an intimate night to remember no matter what.
The Princes Theatre reigns as Queensland's oldest standing theatre at 133-years old. An icon of music if you will. If walls could talk this one would have some damn good tunes.
The new kid on the block and impressively the biggest theatre-styled venue in Australia. A little birdy said the owner of this venue was originally signed off to buy it on the premise that he would turn the space into apartment living but said ‘fuck that’ we’re going to invest in joy.
Amazing food, a great outdoor area to enjoy Brissy’s beautiful weather and of course an impressive lineup of talent on the bill every week to make you feel like talentless imbecile that you are.
