Celebrating Sadness: Q Bar Closing This Week
One of Sydney’s oldest and most iconic venues is set to close by the end of this week. Q Bar (known best for its hospitable acceptance of all things alternative, quirky and sexy) announced last month that after 22 years they will be closing their doors leaving a sticky mess of memories soaked into the carpet, and into our hearts and minds.
Many of the much-loved events that lived in Q Bar have had to move out, find a new home and start over again elsewhere – but not before they celebrate one last time.
Tonight (July 16) Hot Damn is hosting their sold-out party with headliners Final Frontier, Lifes Ills and Hallows who will all drown out the tears with their killer guitar riffs and raging vocals. Positive Era will also be there, bringing that pop-punk sound. The tickets sold-out in less than 12 hours and those who missed out have pleaded, bargained and struggled to find someone who will willingly sell their ticket.
Hot Damn has called Q Bar its home for nine years and has become Sydney’s biggest and most popular weekly punk/pop/hardcore club. At its peak it would pull in over 1000 people, however after the implementation of the Sydney lockout laws those numbers dipped dramatically. “Less people were inclined to come out because they knew their night would be cut short,” said Cael Johnston, National Events Manager of Destroy All Lines, who runs Hot Damn as well as a number of events and tours around the country including MMRS. He says these changes have made it very hard not only for club goers but venues and organisers as well.
Master Tom from the Sydney Hellfire Club suspects that many of the club nights at Q Bar would have felt the restriction from the lockout laws, persuading the owners to finally sell it to investors. “If you have to stop letting people in at 1.30am and you have stop serving people alcohol at 3.00[am], and you have to shut at 3.30[am], then the venue is going to make less money,” he said. Hellfire’s door count saw a decline in numbers until their final celebration at Q Bar on Friday June 26, which saw the venue reach legal maximum capacity by 11pm.
“It was bigger than anyone had anticipated,” said Master Tom. “We hated having to turn people away but we had no choice, legal capacity is legal capacity…[but] everyone wanted to send Q Bar off with fondness and warm memories, because it had been a really warm and welcoming place to our rag-tag bunch of misfits.” There were plenty of prize giveaways on the night, international latex fetish star Jean Bardot performed a ‘naughty kitty’ routine and there were some odd requests to take home squares of the notorious Q Bar carpet that would undoubtedly have a cult following of bidders if it happened to appear on eBay.
GiRLTHING had their final party last Friday (July 10), which also reached maximum capacity. Opening in 2008, the regular evening plays host to plenty of DJs and a younger crowd of queer women dancing the night away. Astir Little, long-term DJ of GiRLTHING says: “Q Bar was such a versatile venue and so big and kind of grungey and awesome…I think trying to find a new venue is going be difficult [because] it’s like the less venues we have, the less parties we can throw.” The last ever GiRLTHING at Q Bar will be on Sunday (July 19). It sold-out in minutes and will be packed full of old schoolers, regulars and is no doubt going to be a massive send off.
If you are worried you will never see your favourite events again, never fear, because the Q Bar management gave event organisers plenty of time to find new homes in venues around Sydney. There will always be venues that are willing to take in the outsiders. Let’s hope they are all as cool and easy-going as Q Bar was.
Hot Damn will be having their re-launch party at the Bristol Arms (aka Retro Hotel) next week, with two levels of punk and party goodness as well as a rooftop full of fun and games. As Silence Breaks will be there along with Your Weight In Gold to restart the Hot Damn memories.
Hellfire has moved across the street from their old home and settled into the Midnight Shift on Oxford St, where they’ll continue their perverse partying (paddles and all). “We’re not gonna get forced out. We are really, really happy to be moving right across the road,” said Master Tom. They are really very excited to make a good first impression.
THE HELLFIRE CLUB GRAND OPENING PARTY
July 24. Midnight Shift Club, 85-91 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. Entry: $25. Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/117685265234213/
HOT DAMN – GRAND RE-OPENING PARTY
July 30. The Bristol Arms, 81 Sussex Street, Sydney. From $28.60. Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1575604562691585/
GiRLTHING is yet to announce their next venue and event. Stay tuned through their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GiRLTHINGPARTY?fref=ts
By Jemma Clarke
